Recent developments in Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is now being recognized as the leading cause of acquired h eart disease in children in North America and Japan. This review discusses the recent developments and controversies in Kawasaki disease. Increasing e vidence has supported an infectious etiology for Kawasaki disease; however, the debate continues as to whether the inflammatory response results from a conventional antigen or a superantigen. Recent immunohistochemistry findi ngs suggest many vascular growth factors then play a role in the formation of the coronary artery lesions. Many studies have focused on the identifica tion and therapy for patients resistant to conventional therapy, as well as the long-term prognosis of Kawasaki disease survivors. The recent advances in Kawasaki disease are helping to provide some clues in the etiology, pat hogenesis and therapy for Kawasaki disease. Curr Opin Infect Dis 14:357-361 . (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.