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Kawasaki disease associated with streptococcal infection within a family
D G Anderson1, G Warner, E Barlow
1Department of Paediatrics, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton, Australia.
Insights
This study describes a family with symptoms of both Kawasaki disease and streptococcal infection. It suggests a possible link between streptococcal infections and the development of Kawasaki disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
Background:
- Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile illness that affects infants and young children.
- Streptococcal infections are common bacterial infections that can cause a variety of symptoms.
Observation:
- A family of four presented with overlapping clinical and laboratory features of both Kawasaki disease and streptococcal infection.
- The patients exhibited signs suggestive of streptococcal infection alongside meeting diagnostic criteria for Kawasaki disease.
Findings:
- All patients recovered well, but one developed a coronary artery aneurysm, a known complication of Kawasaki disease.
- Distinguishing between streptococcal infection and Kawasaki disease can be challenging based on clinical presentation and laboratory findings.
Implications:
- This case highlights the potential diagnostic difficulty in differentiating these two conditions.
- The findings suggest that streptococcal infections may act as a trigger for Kawasaki disease in susceptible individuals.
Objective:
To describe the illness occurring in four members of a family, which had clinical and laboratory features of Kawasaki disease and streptococcal infection.
Methodology:
A retrospective report of three siblings and an adult male living in one household. The children had serology, blood counts, cultures and echocardiography performed and were treated with antibiotics and gammaglobulin infusions.
Results:
The patients developed clinical, and exhibited laboratory, features suggesting streptococcal infection and 4/5 criteria suggesting the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. All made a good clinical recovery but the youngest developed a coronary artery aneurysm.
Conclusions:
It may be difficult to distinguish streptococcal infection and Kawasaki disease. It is possible that some cases of Kawasaki disease are precipitated by streptococcal infection.