Abstract

LA FORGIA, Marta P. et al. Practical update for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic urticaria. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2023, vol.83, n.5, pp.772-792. ISSN 0025-7680.

Urticaria is a distinctive pattern of inflammatory re sponse of the skin and/or mucous membranes charac terized by the sudden appearance of vanishing wheals, angioedema, or both, associated with pruritus. Acute forms are frequent and limited to outbreaks of less than 6 weeks; while the chronic ones have a prevalence of less than 1%, longer duration and can be spontaneous or inducible.

The etiopathogenic mechanisms involved in this disease include autoallergy, autoimmunity, and inflam mation with cell activation, mainly of the mast cell, leading to its degranulation with the release of vasoac tive mediators.

Along its approach, diagnostic confirmation, search for indicators of its etiopathogenesis, detection of cofactors that can modulate its activity, recognition of comorbidi ties, evaluation of possible biomarkers and the assess ment of disease activity, impact and control are essential.

The pharmacological management aims to control the symptoms, until the urticaria, which is self-resolv ing, is gone. This is described in a stepwise fashion with increasing complexity.

Keywords : Urticaria; Etiopathogenesis; Diagnosis; Treatment.