An Adolescent with Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis of unknown etiology that predominantly affects children <5 years of age. The incidence and the severity of myocarditis in this disease is variable and depends upon the stage of the disease, acute or chronic. Acute-stage Kawasaki disease shows relatively high incidence of myocarditis, but almost all cases are clinically mild. We describe teenage boy presenting with atypical/incomplete manifestations of Kawasaki disease and developing fulminant myocarditis within a week of illness resulting in death. The case underscores the importance of suspecting Kawasaki disease in a young child presenting with features of myocardial ischemia.