Chronic Urticaria in Childhood: Etiology and Outcome

Choi, Sung Yun; Park, Hwa Young; Ahn, Young Min

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the etiology and outcome of chronic urticaria (CU) in childhood.
METHODS
We reviewed retrospectively the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of the thirty-nine patients with urticaria and/or angioedema for more than 6 weeks. We also invested the clinical parameters affecting the remission. Positive autologous serum skin test (ASST) results were compared with CU remission.
RESULTS
Male occupied about 56.4% of patients (n=22). Age at first outpatient clinic visit was from 12 month to 13 years 9 month. Duration of symptoms before visit were from 6 weeks to 6 months. Among the etiologic causes, 35.9% (n=14) of patients had physical urticaria, concretely, 17.9% (n=7) of patients had cold urticaria, 12.8% (n=5) of patients had symptomatic dermographism, 5.1% (n=2) of patients had cholinergic urticaria. Sinusitis was associated with CU in 5.1% (n=2) of patients. Unknown causes were 59.9% (n=23) of patients, and among them, 34.8% (n=8) of patients had positive ASST. Disease remission was observed in 56.4% (n=22), but non-remission was observed in 43.6% (n=17). Remission of CU was not associated with age, gender, etiology, and ASST. The remission rate of ASST negative group was higher than the ASST positive group, but it was not significant statistically.
CONCLUSION
Etiologies of CU were variable and physical urticaria should be evaluated first. Unknown etiology were 59.9% and of them, correlation positive ASST with disease remission rate should be evaluated later with further study.