Appendicitis as a Leading Manifestation of Kawasaki Disease in Older Children

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systematic inflammatory disease with multiple organ involvement. Timely diagnosis and prompt management are essential for successful treatment. KD, with an atypical presentation, remains a diagnostic challenge for physicians. We report a five-year-old boy who presented wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ya-Ning Huang, Lu-Hang Liu, Jeng-Jung Chen, Yu-Lin Tai, Yih-Cherng Duh, Chien-Yu Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-02-01
Series:Children
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/2/193
Description
Summary:Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systematic inflammatory disease with multiple organ involvement. Timely diagnosis and prompt management are essential for successful treatment. KD, with an atypical presentation, remains a diagnostic challenge for physicians. We report a five-year-old boy who presented with appendicitis. An appendectomy was performed; however, his fever persisted. The boy was diagnosed with KD and intravenous immunoglobulin was administered. His symptoms resolved, and he had an uneventful recovery. Furthermore, we performed a literature review with 13 cases identified in the literature. Most cases were male, and the average age was older than typical for KD. In conclusion, KD may present with abdominal complaints and appendicitis may be a rare initial presentation of KD. Multidisciplinary cooperation and high awareness are warranted for timely diagnosis, especially in older children experiencing persistent fever after an appendectomy.
ISSN:2227-9067