Kawasaki Disease
Alternate Names : Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome, Kawasaki's Syndrome
How is the disease diagnosed?
Diagnosis of Kawasaki's disease begins with a medical history and physical exam. This disease is hard to diagnose. It is fairly rare and resembles common childhood infections. When a child fails to get better with antibiotics, a healthcare provider often begins to suspect this disease.
Because it resembles other infections, various blood tests may be done to help rule out other conditions. These tests include:
a complete blood count, or CBC
the level of C-reactive protein, which is an abnormal protein seen only during the acute stage of certain illnesses
a sedimentation rate, which detects inflammation or infection in the body
Additional tests may be done, such as:
chest X-ray
echocardiogram, or ultrasound of the heart
EKG, to look for damage to the heart
liver function tests
urinalysis
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