Severe desquamation in Kawasaki disease: Is it somehow protective?

Abstract

Kawasaki disease is a common vasculitis that typically affects children between one and five years of age. We report a 12-year-old boy who presented following a presumed diagnosis of pharyngitis associated with nondesquamating skin rash and conjunctivitis. Despite treatment with amoxicillin for seven days his fever persisted for ten days and then remitted. Two weeks later, he developed full thickness extensive desquamation of his palms and soles that mandated a visit to emergency department in our tertiary health centre. Physical examination revealed full thickness desquamation of his palms and soles with absence of erythema or swelling and he had unremarkable systemic examination. Laboratory tests showed thrombocytosis and high erythrocytes sedimentation rate. Throat culture and Anti-streptolysin-O titer were negative. Aspirin, anti-platelets dose, was initiated. Echocardiography was performed in the first visit and repeated three times later: at four weeks, six weeks and at three months of the illness revealing normal coronary arteries. Follow up complete blood count and sedimentation rate were normal after six weeks, therefore, aspirin was discontinued. Full thickness desquamation, not as it would be expected, might be somehow protective against the involvement of coronary arteries in Kawasaki disease.