A study on the clinical aspects of chronic urticaria in children

Background: Although the incidence of chronic urticaria in children is increasing, research on the disease is limited. Objective: We aimed to study the clinical and etiological characteristics of chronic urticaria in pediatric patients. Methods: From July 2013 to December 2016, patients with chronic urticaria aged less than 18 years answered questionnaires regarding their symptoms and provoking factors or specific exposures related to the disease. Some patients were also investigated with physical provocation and/or laboratory tests. Results: A total of 74 patients (male to female ratio, 1.0) with a mean age of 11.1 years (range, 1.1-18.7 years) were evaluated. The severity of urticaria was classified into mild (23.0%), moderate (43.2%), and severe (33.8%) according to the patient rating scale. Twenty-one patients (28.4%) had a previous history of atopic disease. Some patients reported accompanying angioedema (18.9%) and general symptoms, such as fatigue (14.9%) and nausea or vomiting (8.1%). The etiology was identified in 14 patients (18.9%): 9 patients had dermographic urticaria, 3 patients had cholinergic urticaria, 1 patient had cold urticaria, and 1 patient had dermographic combined with cholinergic urticaria. Results of thyroid autoantibody and antinuclear antibody tests were positive in 4 patients (30.8%) and 13 patients (27.7%), respectively. Remission rates at 1, 2, and 3 years after the onset of chronic urticaria symptoms were 40.6%, 50.7%, and 52.2%, respectively. A mild urticaria severity score and the presence of angioedema seemed to be good prognostic factors for the remission of chronic urticaria. Conclusion: Based on the results of this single-center study, further investigation is warranted to determine the incidence, etiology, and distinct features of chronic urticaria in children compared to those in adults.