Coronary artery aneurysms presenting as sudden death 14 years after Kawasaki disease in infancy

A 17-year-old boy who collapsed and died suddenly was found to have aneurysms of the right and left coronary arteries and evidence of a burned-out arteritis. There was a history, in infancy, of a severe febrile illness and skin rash that, in retrospect, was an acute episode of Kawasaki disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome). The observations support the contention that a previous episode of Kawasaki disease should be entertained as a possible cause of proximal, discrete coronary artery aneurysms presenting in adolescence or adulthood.