National surveillance of Kawasaki disease.

Information about 261 cases of Kawasaki disease (KD) was reported to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) between July 1976 and July 1978. KD occurred at all times of the year in young, previously healthy children throughout the United States. KD was more common in infants and toddlers, males, and Asian and part-Asian children. The illness was characterized by acute onset of prolonged high fever; maculopapular or scarlatiniform rash; adenopathy; injection of the conjunctival and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract; redness of the palms and soles; indurative edema of the extremities; desquamation, arthralgias; and elevated white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and platelet count. Complications included gallbladder disease and carditis; 2.8% died. Surviving patients were hospitalized for a mean of 8.9 days.