Clinical and etiologic evaluation of the children with chronic urticaria.

BACKGROUND

Chronic urticaria (CU) is a skin disorder defined as daily or almost daily exhibition of pruritic and transient wheals that last for 6 weeks. CU is divided into two subtypes: chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical features, possible causes, associated findings, and laboratory results of different subtypes of CU in children according to a new classification.

METHODS

In this study, we evaluated the clinical features, laboratory investigations, and provocation tests of children with different subtypes of CU according to a new classification.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-two children (59.9% girls) were enrolled in the study. Of the study patients, 59.9% and 40.1% were diagnosed as having CSU and CIndU, respectively. Antithyroid antibody levels were positive in 7.1% of the patients with CSU, 32.8% of the children had positive 14C-urea breath test results, and 6.5% of the patients had positive stool examination results for parasites. Autologous serum skin test results were positive in 53.5% of the patients with CSU. Of the patients with CIndU, 77.5% had symptomatic dermographism, 16.8% had cold urticaria, 2.2% had cholinergic urticaria, 2.2% had solar urticaria, and 1.1% had aquagenic urticaria.

CONCLUSION

Children with CSU represent the majority of patients with CU, and more than a half of these patients might have autoimmune urticaria. Symptomatic dermographism was the most common type of CIndU.