Ann Dermatol.  2019 Aug;31(4):438-441. 10.5021/ad.2019.31.4.438.

Anaphylaxis to Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Literature Review

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Dermatology, Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea. dermap@hanmail.net, victoryby@naver.com

Abstract

Chlorpheniramine maleate is commonly used antihistamine. Since antihistamines are the main therapeutic agents for symptomatic treatment of urticaria, anaphylaxis to antihistamines may lead to errors in diagnosis and treatment. We report a case of anaphylaxis induced by chlorpheniramine maleate confirmed by intradermal test. A 35-year-old female experienced history of anaphylaxis after intramuscular injection of chlorpheniramine maleate. Skin prick test was negative, but intradermal test was positive. Patient also experienced mild dizziness after intradermal test and refused to perform any further evaluation such as oral challenge test. Anaphylaxis for chlorpheniramine maleate is very rare but should be considered.

Keyword

Anaphylaxis; Chlorpheniramine; Histamine H1 antagonist; Intradermal tests; Urticaria

MeSH Terms

Adult
Anaphylaxis*
Chlorpheniramine*
Diagnosis
Dizziness
Female
Histamine Antagonists
Humans
Injections, Intramuscular
Intradermal Tests
Skin
Urticaria
Chlorpheniramine
Histamine Antagonists

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Intradermal test result of various antihistamines (after 15 minutes).


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