[Kawasaki disease epidemiology in Guadeloupe].

Objective: To study the incidence of Kawasaki disease in the population of the French West Indies.

Methods: Fifty-six children where enrolled between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2000), in this retrospective study in Guadeloupe (French West Indies), according to the diagnostic criteria of the American Heart Association.

Results: There were 31 boys and 25 girls. Their mean age at the time of diagnosis was 26.5 +/- 22 months. The mean incidence was 25.4/100 000 children aged under 5, per year. Cardiac involvement was noted in 17.8% of the cases during the first 3 months, with good outcome in all the children followed-up.

Conclusion: The incidence of Kawasaki disease in Guadeloupe is high. The absence of epidemiological, clinical or biological predictive criteria of cardiac involvement should prompt the early use of immunoglobulins, notably in atypical presentations of the disease.