Is it Kawasaki Disease or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children?

Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children and most frequently affects infants and young children. This disease is a systemic vasculitis that invades medium-sized arteries, including the coronary arteries. Coronary arteritis can begin as early as day 6 of fever and lead to permanent damage. Thus, early recognition and treatment significantly reduces the risk for developing coronary artery aneurysms. The overlapping clinical features of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children secondary to COVID-19 could potentially contribute to a delay in the identification of Kawasaki disease. The clinical similarities and differences are discussed, along with recent guidelines. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.