Kawasaki Disease: Where are we in 2026?

Nearly six decades after Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki first described the condition, Kawasaki disease (KD) remains the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children worldwide, yet its etiology continues to elude definitive explanation. Substantial progress has been made in recent years across multiple fronts: advances in coronary imaging, including computed tomography coronary angiography, have improved detection of distal and complex coronary artery abnormalities beyond the reach of conventional echocardiography; genetic and epigenetic studies have identified susceptibility loci and methylation signatures that offer clues to disease pathogenesis; single-cell transcriptomic and proteomic approaches are beginning to unravel the immune dysregulation underlying acute disease and its complications; and long-term follow-up studies are clarifying the natural history of coronary and vascular outcomes, including in children who defervesce spontaneously. At the same time, the emergence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) during the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed global interest in KD-like inflammatory phenotypes and their shared and distinct immunopathological mechanisms.

Despite these advances, important gaps persist. The disease continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of KD is increasingly recognized but resources for diagnosis and treatment remain limited. Consensus is still lacking on the optimal management of intravenous immunoglobulin-resistant disease, indications for primary treatment intensification, and long-term surveillance strategies for children with and without coronary artery involvement. The relationship between KD and inborn errors of immunity, concurrent infections, and environmental triggers remains incompletely understood.

This Research Topic aims to take stock of where the field stands in 2026, bringing together clinical, immunological, genetic, and epidemiological perspectives to define current knowledge, ongoing controversies, and future research priorities in Kawasaki disease. We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Epidemiological trends and the changing global burden of Kawasaki disease, including in low- and middle-income countries
• Advances in coronary and vascular imaging, including computed tomography coronary angiography and emerging modalities
• Genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic insights into disease susceptibility and pathogenesis
• Immunopathogenesis of Kawasaki disease, including the role of concurrent infections and environmental triggers
• Kawasaki disease and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: shared and distinct mechanisms
• Kawasaki disease occurring in the context of inborn errors of immunity
• Biomarkers for diagnosis, risk stratification, and prediction of coronary artery abnormalities
• Management of intravenous immunoglobulin-resistant disease and treatment intensification strategies
• Long-term cardiovascular, vascular, and endothelial outcomes, including in atypical or incomplete presentations
• Natural history of disease in children who defervesce spontaneously or receive delayed treatment
• Growth, pubertal, and other long-term systemic outcomes in survivors of Kawasaki disease
• Public health strategies, awareness, and healthcare system challenges in diagnosing and managing Kawasaki disease globally

We welcome the submission of many article types, including original research, systematic reviews, mini reviews, meta-analyses, case report, and perspective or opinion articles that provide a comprehensive and forward-looking assessment of Kawasaki disease as the field enters a new phase of understanding in 2026.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Kawasaki disease, coronary artery abnormalities, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, coronary imaging, immunopathogenesis, genetic susceptibility, intravenous immunoglobulin resistance, biomarkers, vasculitis, long-term cardiovascular outcomes

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.