Urticaria Flashcards
CSU epidemiology
Chronic urticaria peaks in the fourth decade, and F>M 2:1
Triggers or urticaria
- Idiopathic: 60%
- Physical: pressure, overheating
- Infections: URTI, etc
- Medications:
- Aspirin and other NSAIDs such as diclofenac (pseudoallergic)
- Aspirin exacerbates ~ 20-30%
- Histamine liberators: opioids, abx such as vancomycin, radiocontrast
- Rocuronium, etc
- Abx such as penicillin and cephalosporins
- Diet:
- Nickel allergy: suggestion nickel free diet works for CSU
- Wine and other ETOH –> aggravates in 30% of CSU
- Food: cheese, fish, strawberries
- Eggs, nuts, seeds –> can have food dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis too
- Wheat, hazelnuts, shellfish
- Wheat dependant: associated with IgE against gliadin
- Spices, green tea
- Menses: worsens pre-menstrually - progesterone sensitivity if predominantly premenstrual, can do skin prick and intradermal testing for that. CSU often goes into remission in last trim of pregnancy
- Stress
- Nickel allergy: CSU:
Classification of urticaria
- Spotaneous
- Acute <6 weeks
- Chronic >6 weeks
- Intermittent
- Episodic
- Inducible - 19%
- Temperature
- Cold
- Hot
- Touch
- Stroke
- Vibration
- Contact
- Cholinergic
- Aquagenic
- Temperature
% of acute urticaria which are idiopathic
60%
Features of urticaria which would make you think of ddx
Fever and arthritis
>24 hours
resolves with brusing
Dermographism can sometimes be triggered by what
Scabies and penicillin allergy
Delayed pressure urticaria looks like what
Deep erythematous swelling at site of sustained pressure
Delay 30 minutes - 12 hours
Can look like angioedema
Systemic features: malaise, flu like sx, arthralgia
Lasts 6-9 years
Vibratory angioedema looks like what
- jogging, rubbing with a towel, vibrating machinery
- can be acquired –> milder
- familial: inherited dominantly
- can cause generalized erythema and headache
Cold contact urticaria - primary clinical features
- most common cause is idiopathic, more rarely respiratory infections, arthropod bites, HIV
- most frequently seen in young adults
- itching, burning and whealing occurs in minutes after rewarming the skin
- environment: rainy, windy weather, cold objects, drinking cold liquids
- Systemic: flushing, headache, syncope, abdominal pain can occur if large areas affected
- Cold baths and swimming should be avoided due to risk of anaphylaxis
- Mean duration 6-9 years, but may be more transient if post-infectious
When you suspect secondary cold contact urticaria what investigations should you do
EPG, IEPG
HBV HCV HIV EBV
Cryoglobulins, cryofibrinogens, cold agglutinins
Familial cold urticaria is called what, and what genes
- Also called familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome - cryopyrin associated periodic syndromes (CAPS)
- Mutation in NLRP3, NLRP12 and PLCG2
Cholinergic urticaria clinical
- Triggered by factors that lead to sweating
- multiple transient, papular wheals that are 2-3 mm in diameter, and surrounded by an obvious flare
- within 15 minutes of sweat-inducing stimuli –> physical exertion, hot baths, emotional stress
- can be alcohol, spicy foods
- more common in young adults with atopy
- rare in elderly
- stimulus –> pruritus, small, monomorphic wheals that are symmetric, more prominent on the upper half of the body
- Systemic: faintness, headaches, palpitations, abdominal pain, wheezing, reduced FEV has been recorded
- cold urticaria, symptomatic dermographism or aquagenic can be associated with cholinergic
- rarer forms: cholinergic erythema (symmetric, small, erythematous macules appear to be persistent), cholinergic dermographism
Adrenergic urticaria clinical
- blanched, vasoconstricted skin surrounding small, pink wheals induced by sudden stress as opposed to pale wheals surrounded by a pink halo
- can be reproduced with intradermal noradrenaline injections
Causes of contact urticaria
- Allergic (immunological)
- Foods: Cow’s milk, Cod, Kiwi fruit, Peanuts, Spices, Celery
- Animals: Saliva, Moths, caterpillars, Urine
- Human: Semen
- Other: Fragrance, Latex
- Non‐immunological:
- Histamine liberators
- CobaltDimethyl
- sulfoxideVasoactive
- Nettle stings
- Jellyfish stings
- Undetermined action:
- Bleaching agent
- Ammonium persulphate
- FragranceBalsam of Peru
- Flavouring agents
- Cinnamic acid
- Cinnamic aldehyde
- Preservatives
- Benzoic acid
- Sorbic acid
Hereditary periodic fever syndomres that have urticarial lesions
- Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS): mutation in NLRP3, develop wheals at an early age, and very resistant to antihistamines
- HIDS - hyperimmunoglobulinaemia D with periodic fever syndromes (HIDS)
- TNF receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS): erythematous and oedematous urticarial plaques, periorbital oedema
- Familial Mediterranean fever: more erysipelas-like
Schnitzler
Stills - Episodic angioedema with eosinophilia: hypereosinophilia, weight gain, fever, increased IL-5
- Systemic capillary leak syndrome: rare, acquired, episodic massive plasma exudation from blood vessels –> life-threatening hypotension, angioedema, IgG paraproteinaemia
- Urticarial vasculitis