**9. Timing of echocardiography**

The consensus statement from the American Heart Association recommends performing echocardiography at diagnosis, 2 weeks and repeating at 6-8 weeks after the onset of illness for uncomplicated cases. In some centres the 2 week echocardiogram is not routinely performed. The imaging at diagnosis should provide a baseline study for serial follow-up of left ventricular function, coronary arterial involvement, valvar regurgitation, myocarditis and/or a pericardial effusion. The presence of any cardiac involvement warrants closer followup. In particular, coronary aneurysms > 5mm in size require close monitoring because of an elevated risk of developing stenotic lesions within the vessel (Mueller, 2009). By 6-8 weeks, transient cardiac involvement is likely to have resolved, or if coronary artery dilation and/or aneurysms are present, the maximum diameter is usually reached by this time.
