INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Mackenzie
Diagnosed at 7,
Kawasaki disease

After receiving a perfect attendance award for the school year, Mackenzie walked out of her first grade class thinking about Memorial Day weekend and anticipating summer fun. That was right before she became ill.

The very next day Mackenzie was sick with what started as a swollen eye that looked like a stye. By nightfall, she had spiked a high fever, was vomiting and could not sleep.

Her worried parents took her to the on-call pediatrician. After a series of tests showed negative results, her illness was thought to be a virus that would run its course.

That night, a red rash broke out all over Mackenzie’s body. Her fever climbed higher and the rash became worse. She was extremely sensitive to touch, agitated and didn’t want anyone to be near, not even her siblings.

“It seemed like a new symptom was added every day,” said Mackenzie’s mother, Melanie. “Her personality was changing and the disease was consuming her.”

Melanie made a frantic phone call to her regular pediatrician, Dr. Jennifer Trotter of Texas Children’s Pediatric Associates, even though it was a holiday weekend.

Trotter noted that Mackenzie’s fever was consistently over 100.4 for five consecutive days and that she had the symptoms associated with an infectious disease called Kawasaki disease:

• Conjunctivitis – eye redness
• Oral mucosa – tongue red; lips fissured
• Swelling lymph nodes in neck
• Hands and feet swelling; redness or peeling of the skin
• Red rash on the trunk of the body

“No one knows the cause of Kawasaki disease,” said Trotter. “Kawasaki must be treated aggressively and especially while the patient is still sick and experiencing symptoms.”

Mackenzie was admitted to Texas Children’s Hospital and aggressive, but standard treatment for Kawasaki was started consisting of intravenous gamma globulin continuous for 10 to 12 hours with cardiac monitoring.

“If untreated, patients with Kawasaki can develop a coronary aneurysm, causing the heart to swell or balloon,” said Trotter. “Because of this threat, patients are monitored closely and an echocardiogram is done to be sure there is no swelling or heart damage.”

Mackenzie responded well to treatment and continued therapy of daily aspirin (anticoagulant) for six to eight weeks. A final follow up echocardiogram after six months should complete the treatment.

Mackenzie already is back into her normal routine. She takes ballet and tap lessons, likes to swim and enjoys many activities with her family and Girl Scout troop. She’s happy to back home with her beloved pets, a Boston Terrier named Molly and her Walker hound, Max.

“She looks healthy again,” said Mackenzie’s mom. “I feel fortunate to have Dr. Trotter and Texas Children’s identify this disease as so many children are untreated.”