An atypical presentation of Kawasaki disease: a 10-year-old boy with acute exudative tonsillitis and bilateral cervical lymphadenitis

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD) is typically a self-limiting condition that is a common cause of pediatric vasculitis (1) and the leading cause of pediatric acquired heart disease (2). The disease most frequently occurs in children aged between 6 months and 5 years (3) and is often associated with coronary artery aneurysms (4). Indeed, findings from an epidemiologic survey conducted in Japan revealed that only 1% of KD cases occurred in children aged ≥9 years (5). There is currently no laboratory test for diagnosing KD. Rather, diagnosis is performed with reference to established clinical criteria (6). Unfortunately, atypical manifestations of KD appear to be on the rise (1), decreasing the likelihood of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Herein, we report an unusual case of KD: a 10-year-old boy who presented with acute exudative tonsillitis and bilateral cervical lymphadenitis.