The Etiological Evaluation of Patients with Chronic Urticaria

OBJECTIVES: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common skin disease characterised by skin lesions and angioedema lasting longer than six weeks. Although many factors, such as autoimmune diseases, infections, drugs and malignities, are blamed in the etiology, no reason can be found in a significant majority of the patients. The present study aims to investigate the factors which have a role in the etiology in patients diagnosed with CU. METHODS: Sixty-two patients who were followed-up with the diagnosis of CU in the Allergy Polyclinic of Dermatology Clinic were retrospectively evaluated in this study. The clinical and laboratory data of the patients were obtained from the patient files and the hospital automation system. The obtained data were given as a number and percentage for the categorical variables and as mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum for the numerical variables. RESULTS: The patient group consisted of 33 women (53.2%), and 29 men (46.8%), with 62 patients. The prevalence of angioedema was calculated as 51.6%, and the accompanying physical hives was calculated as 40.3%. Autoimmune disease was accompanying in 14 (22.6%) patients, and coexisting infection was detected in 15 (24.2%) patients. Thyroid autoantibodies were detected positive in 24.5% of the patients, and helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) antigen was found positive in 69% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Autoimmune thyroid diseases and infections are frequently detected as the accompanying diseases in patients diagnosed with CU.