**6. Echocardiography in Kawasaki disease**

Transthoracic echocardiography is highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of coronary artery involvement and should be performed in confirmed or suspected cases of Kawasaki disease at the time of diagnosis. It is important to ensure that the timing or results of the echocardiogram do not delay initial treatment of Kawasaki disease, and that the diagnosis is made predominantly on clinical findings. On the other hand, if full criteria are not met and coronary artery abnormalities are present on echocardiography, then the child has incomplete features of Kawasaki disease and treatment with high dose intravenous immunoglobulin should be considered. The American Heart Association consensus guidelines provide a schema for the incorporation of echocardiography into the diagnostic process in children with possible incomplete Kawasaki disease (Newburger et al., 2004).
