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An individualized diagnostic approach based on guidelines for chronic urticaria ( CU )
Author(s) -
GiménezArnau A.M.,
Grattan C.,
Zuberbier T.,
Toubi E.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/jdv.13196
Subject(s) - medicine , angioedema , chronic urticaria , intensive care medicine , clinical practice , quality of life (healthcare) , medline , dermatology , physical therapy , nursing , political science , law
Chronic urticaria ( CU ), defined as the spontaneous or inducible appearance of hives, angioedema or both for 6 weeks or more, presents with a number of subtypes which all substantially impair patients’ quality of life (QoL). International urticaria guidelines give clear recommendations on workup and treatment but the occurrence of CU with multiple causes and triggers (sometimes with more than one subtype occurring in a single patient) presents challenges for an individualized assessment by physicians. This review summarizes recent guidance on the classification, diagnosis and assessment of CU subtypes and discusses how currently available patient assessment tools and laboratory tests can be used in clinical practice as part of an individualized patient management plan.