Urticarial vasculitis: etiologies and clinical course

Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol. 2009 Jun-Sep;27(2-3):95-102.

Abstract

Out of 64 patients diagnosed with urticarial vasculitis (UV), 49 (76.6%) presented with their first attack of UV. The others experienced recurrent attacks with a mean number of 3.3 past recurrences. Fifteen patients had angioedema (23.4%) and 16 (25%) suffered systemic involvement. The most common abnormal laboratory finding was an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Six of 62 patients (9.7%) had decreased C3 levels. A cause could be identified in 19 patients (29.7%). The most common identified cause was infection; other causes included drugs, malignancy and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The prevalence of immunoreactant deposits in the skin lesions measured by DIF was 54.7% (35 of 64 patients). The median disease duration of each episode was 85 days. The probability that patients were free of symptoms within one year was 70%. Patients with an idiopathic cause had a statistically significant longer course duration of each episode than the group with upper respiratory tract infection. Compared to reports from Westem countries, our patients seemed to have less severe symptoms and a lower percentage of hypocomplementemic UV and SLE.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Blood Sedimentation
  • Complement C3 / biosynthesis
  • Complement C3 / genetics
  • Drug Hypersensitivity / complications
  • Drug Hypersensitivity / pathology
  • Drug Hypersensitivity / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / complications
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / pathology
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / complications
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / complications
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / pathology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / physiopathology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Skin / immunology
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Skin / pathology
  • Thailand
  • Urticaria / etiology
  • Urticaria / pathology
  • Urticaria / physiopathology*
  • Vasculitis

Substances

  • Complement C3