Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Urticaria

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Pruritus

  • 1038 Accesses

Abstract

Urticaria is one of the most common skin diseases that impairs the quality of life in patients. According to the duration of symptoms with less or more than 6 weeks urticaria is subdivided into acute or chronic spontaneous. Non-sedating antihistamines are the main stay for therapy in urticaria, however some patients do not respond to updosing, which is not licensed but recommended by the latest European guideline. In those patients anti-IgE, which is licensed for urticaria therapy, is recommended besides the recommendation of cyclosporine A, which is not licensed. In this chapter we give an overview of urticaria and subtypes with reference to the latest treatment and diagnostic algorithms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Zuberbier T, Aberer W, Asero R, et al. The EAACI/GA(2) LEN/EDF/WAO Guideline for the definition, classification, diagnosis, and management of urticaria: the 2013 revision and update. Allergy. 2014;69:868–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Grattan CEH, Humphreys F. Guidelines for evaluation and management of urticaria in adults and children. Br J Dermatol. 2007;157:1116–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Powell RJ, Leech SC, Till S, et al. BSACI guideline for the management of chronic urticaria and angioedema. Clin Exp Allergy. 2015;45:547–65.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cooper KD. Urticaria and angioedema: diagnosis and evaluation. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1991;25:166–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wedi B, Raap U, Kapp A. Chronic urticaria and infections. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004;4:387–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Raap U, Liekenbrocker T, Wieczorek D, et al. New therapeutic strategies for the different subtypes of urticaria. Hautarzt. 2004;55:361–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Maurer M, Staubach P, Raap U, et al. ATTENTUS, a German online survey of patients with chronic urticaria highlighting the burden of disease, unmet needs and real-life clinical practice. Br J Dermatol. 2016;174(4):892–4.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Wedi B, Kapp A. Urticaria and angioedema. In: Mahmoudi M, editor. Allergy: practical diagnosis and management. New York: Mc Graw Hill; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Elias J, Boss E, Kaplan AP. Studies of the cellular infiltrate of chronic idiopathic urticaria: prominence of T-lymphocytes, monocytes, and mast cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1986;78:914–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Sabroe RA, Poon E, Orchard GE, et al. Cutaneous inflammatory cell infiltrate in chronic idiopathic urticaria: comparison of patients with and without anti-FcepsilonRI or anti-IgE autoantibodies. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999;103:484–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Caproni M, Giomi B, Melani L, et al. Cellular infiltrate and related cytokines, chemokines, chemokine receptors and adhesion molecules in chronic autoimmune urticaria: comparison between spontaneous and autologous serum skin test induced wheal. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2006;19:507–15.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Leslie TA. Itch. Medicine. 2013;41(7):367–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Yosipovitch G, Goon A, Wee J, et al. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of pruritus among patients with extensive psoriasis. Br J Dermatol. 2000;143:969–73.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Yosipovitch G, Ansari N, Goon A, et al. Clinical characteristics of pruritus in chronic idiopathic urticaria. Br J Dermatol. 2002;147:32–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Stander S, Zeidler C, Riepe C, et al. European EADV network on assessment of severity and burden of Pruritus (PruNet): first meeting on outcome tools. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015. doi: 10.1111/jdv.13296. [Epub ahead of print].

    Google Scholar 

  16. Raap U, Gieler U, Schmid-Ott G. Urticaria. Dermatol Psychosom. 2004;5:203–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Finlay AY, Khan GK. Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) – a simple practical measure for routine clinical use. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1994;19(3):210–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Mathias SD, Crosby RD, Zazzali JL, Maurer M, Saini SS. Evaluating the minimally important difference of the urticaria activity score and other measures of disease activity in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol: Off Publ Am Coll Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2012;108(1):20–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Baiardini I, Pasquali M, Braido F, et al. A new tool to evaluate the impact of chronic urticaria on quality of life: chronic urticaria quality of life questionnaire (CU-QoL). Allergy. 2005;60(8):1073–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Wedi B, Kapp A. Evidence-based therapy of chronic urticaria. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2007;5:146–57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Borzova E, Grattan CE. Urticaria: current future treatments. Expert Rev Dermatol. 2007;2(3):317–34.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Agostoni A, Aygoren-Pursun E, Binkley KE, et al. Hereditary and acquired angioedema: problems and progress: proceedings of the third C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency workshop and beyond. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004;114:S51–131.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Kaplan AP, Greaves MW. Angioedema. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005;53:373–88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Zuberbier T, Bindslev-Jensen C, Canonica W, et al. EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF guideline: management of urticaria. Allergy. 2006;61:321–31.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Leslie TA. Antihistamines. In: Wakelin SH, Maibach HI, Archer CB, editors. Handbook of systemic drug treatment in dermatology. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis Group; 2015. p. 76–84.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Savic S, Marsland A, McKay D, et al. Retrospective case note review of chronic spontaneous urticaria outcomes and adverse effects in patients treated with omalizumab or ciclosporin in UK secondary care. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol: Off J Can Soc Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;11(1):21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Leslie TA, Greaves MW, Yosipovitch G. Current topical and systemic treatment of itch. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2015;226:337–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London, NW3 2QG, UK

    Tabi A. Leslie BSc, MBBS, FRCP

  2. Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany

    Ulrike Raap MD

Authors
  1. Tabi A. Leslie BSc, MBBS, FRCP
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ulrike Raap MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ulrike Raap MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Brest, Brest, France

    Laurent Misery

  2. Center of Chronic Pruritus, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Sonja Ständer

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer-Verlag London

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Leslie, T.A., Raap, U. (2016). Urticaria. In: Misery, L., Ständer, S. (eds) Pruritus. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_21

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_21

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33140-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33142-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation