Urticaria and lip fasciculation may be prodromal signs of brain malignancy.

The association of urticaria and cancer usually is seen with lymphoreticular system malignancies. Recalcitrant intra-nostril pruritus has been associated with fourth-ventricle tumors of the brain. Rarely, urticaria has been described with cancer of the lung, usually small-cell adenocarcinoma. We describe a girl who suffered with chronic urticaria for 3 months before lip fasciculation began to be observed. CT scan revealed a brain tumor adjacent to the cerebellum, which was diagnosed as astrocytoma grade II. Because of the location, the tumor was not operable, but after one course of radiotherapy, both the urticaria and lip fasciculation disappeared.