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Urticaria in Child
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Urticaria in Child

Contributors: Gloria Chen BA, Elyse M. Love MD, Craig N. Burkhart MD, Dean Morrell MD, Jeffrey M. Cohen MD, Susan Burgin MD
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

Urticaria is a skin disorder characterized by wheals (hives), angioedema, or both. It is caused by the release of histamine and other vasoactive substances from mast cells. When swelling is superficial, urticaria presents. When the swelling is deeper, angioedema presents.

Urticaria is categorized as acute (new onset or recurring episodes of up to 6 weeks' duration) or chronic (recurring episodes lasting longer than 6 weeks). Chronic urticaria can be spontaneous or inducible and is estimated to occur in 0.1%-1.8% of children.

The most common cause of acute urticaria in children is viral infection, particularly upper respiratory infections. Other causes include food allergy and drug hypersensitivity. In some cases, the inciting factor is never identified.

Chronic urticaria is less commonly seen in children than in adults. Prognosis is also more favorable in children than in adults, with over 95% resolution after 7 years. Chronic urticaria is subdivided into chronic inducible urticaria and chronic spontaneous urticaria, based on whether definite triggers exist and can be identified. Chronic inducible urticaria is triggered consistently, reproducibly, and exclusively by a specific stimulus. These stimuli further define chronic inducible urticaria subtypes: symptomatic dermographism, cold urticaria, delayed pressure urticaria, solar urticaria, heat urticaria, and vibratory angioedema are physical urticarias, whereas cholinergic urticaria, contact urticaria, aquagenic urticaria, and adrenergic urticaria are not.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria may be exacerbated by triggers such as NSAIDs, alcohol, and stress, but triggers are not definite, as stimuli do not always produce symptoms. While the cause of chronic spontaneous urticaria is unknown, the presence of mast cell–activating autoantibodies in many patients raises the possibility of an autoimmune origin. It is also associated with other autoimmune conditions, including vitiligo and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Other associated factors:
Related topics: cholinergic urticaria, cold urticaria, contact urticaria, dermographism, physical urticaria, urticaria pigmentosa

Codes

ICD10CM:
L50.9 – Urticaria, unspecified

SNOMEDCT:
126485001 – Urticaria

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Last Reviewed:12/13/2022
Last Updated:03/14/2024
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Urticaria in Child
A medical illustration showing key findings of Urticaria : Erythema, Recurring episodes or relapses, Scattered many, Serpiginous configuration, Pruritus, Hives
Clinical image of Urticaria - imageId=376064. Click to open in gallery.  caption: 'Edematous pink papules and plaques on the arm.'
Edematous pink papules and plaques on the arm.
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