Epidemiology/Etiology

Sex: ♂ > ♀ (1.5:1)

Age: primarily children < 5 years (most common cause of acquired coronary artery disease in children)

Peak incidence: occurs mostly in late winter and spring

Prevalence

• Approx. 20 per 100,000 children

• Highest rate in children of Asian and Pacific-Islander descent

Mortality: < 0.5%

The exact cause of Kawasaki disease remains uncertain.

However, it is associated with infectious and genetic factors (the prevalence is higher in patients of Asian descent and in siblings of affected children).