Review Article
Hiroshi Katayama
Abstract
Kawasaki disease, which was first reported by Kawasaki (1967), is an acute, febrile, pediatric illness that occasionally causes coronary artery lesions. Kawasaki disease is characterized by systemic vacuities, although the etiology remains unknown. Whether Kawasaki disease is a risk factor for the early progression of atherosclerosis in adolescents and young adults has been discussed for a long time. Endothelial function has been studied in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease by many investigators. Measurement of the percentage of flow-mediated dilatation (%FMD) is a non-invasive method for evaluation of endothelial function. This review focuses on the 15 published articles found in our literature search pertaining to %FMD measurements in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease.