An atypical presentation of Kawasaki disease resembling a retropharyngeal abscess

Kawasaki disease is an acute systemic inflammatory disease, which occurs in children less than 10 years of age. The etiology of the disorder is unknow n. Diagnosis is based upon clinician's recognition of a symptom pattern tha t includes high fevers, oral cavity changes, polymorphous rash, conjunctiva l injection, and cervical adenopathy. Most feared are the cardiac manifesta tions of Kawasaki syndrome, which result in an overall mortality rate of 2% in patients. Because of the common presenting symptoms, the otolaryngologi st often plays a central role in early diagnosis of the disorder. The follo wing case report describes a patient with Kawasaki disease whose initial pr esentation mimicked a retropharyngeal abscess. A literature review details the common and atypical early signs and symptoms of Kawasaki disease. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.