Differentiation between Lymph-Node-First Presentation of Kawasaki Disease from Bacterial Cervical Lymphadenitis

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. If the patients are left untreated, coronary artery aneurysms may occur. Among the major criteria for KD, lymphadenopathy is the least common. Thus, lymph node-first presentation KD (NFKD) may be overlooked, resulting in coronary artery dilatation. Pediatric patients with fever and cervical lymphadenopathy should be cautiously evaluated for an accurate diagnosis and to minimize complications. Laboratory findings and imaging studies may help make a diagnosis in these patients. We discussed eight previous studies and compared the results of laboratory and imaging findings to differentiate between NFKD from bacterial cervical lymphadenitis (BCL).