Splenomegaly in Kawasaki Disease: A Pitfall in Diagnosis

Among the 365 children diagnosed as having Kawasaki disease (KD), only 5 children (1.4%) presented with splenomegaly: 2 complicated by macrophage activation syndrome and 3 ultimately received a diagnosis of alternative systemic illness. Splenomegaly is atypical in KD and a potential marker of an underling complication, namely macrophage activation syndrome, or diagnosis other than KD.

Automated summary

Among 365 children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, only 5 (1.4%) had splenomegaly, with 2 of them complicated by macrophage activation syndrome and 3 ultimately diagnosed with alternative systemic illness. Splenomegaly is an atypical manifestation in Kawasaki disease and may indicate underlying complications such as macrophage activation syndrome or other diagnoses.