Epidemiology of urticaria in German children

The international EAACI/GA²LEN/EuroGuiDerm/APAAACI guideline for the definition, classification, diagnosis, and management of urticaria

This update and revision of the international guideline for urticaria was developed following the methods recommended by Cochrane and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group. It is a joint initiative of the Dermatology Section of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA²LEN) and its Urticaria and Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence (UCAREs and ACAREs), the European Dermatology Forum (EDF; EuroGuiDerm), and the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology with the participation of 64 delegates of 50 national and international societies and from 31 countries. The consensus conference was held on 3 December 2020. This guideline was acknowledged and accepted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Urticaria is a frequent, mast cell-driven disease that presents with wheals, angioedema, or both. The lifetime prevalence for acute urticaria is approximately 20%. Chronic spontaneous or inducible urticaria is disabling, impairs quality of life, and affects performance at work and school. This updated version of the international guideline for urticaria covers the definition and classification of urticaria and outlines expert-guided and evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the different subtypes of urticaria.

Caloric Restriction and Remission of Severe Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: An Autobiographical Case Report

In this autobiographical case report, the physician-author-patient is documenting the remission of his own severe chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in response to caloric restriction and subsequent weight loss. To my knowledge, this is the first reported case of CSU remission secondary to weight loss in the literature. CSU is a common debilitating pruritic skin condition that carries a significant economic and psychological burden. Currently, the mainstay of CSU treatment is symptom control, rather than seeking to achieve complete remission. Despite some recent retrospective studies reporting an association between obesity and CSU, there is a paucity of interventional research testing the impact of obesity management on CSU. The case reported herein highlights the need for research able to test the hypothesized association between obesity, particularly visceral obesity, and CSU.