Urticarial vasculitis

Allergy Asthma Proc. 2007 Jan-Feb;28(1):97-100. doi: 10.2500/aap.2007.28.2972.

Abstract

A case of urticarial vasculitis (UV) is presented. The pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and management of this disease are reviewed, followed by clinical pearls and pitfalls for the practicing allergist (Venzor J, et al., Urticarial vasculitis, Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 23:201-216, 2002). The lesions in UV typically lasts > 24 hours in a fixed location, resolves with residual hyperpigmentation, and may or may not be pruritic. In contrast, standard urticaria lesions persist < 24 hours, leave no trace, and is always pruritic (Black AK, Urticarial vasculitis, Clin Dermatol 17:565-569, 1999). Since urticarial vasculitis is characterized by a variety of cutaneous, systemic, and serological features, different names of this disorder exist in the literature (Wisnieski JJ, Urticarial vasculitis, Curr Opin Rheumatol 12:24-31, 2000). A biopsy of an active lesion remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of urticarial vasculitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy
  • Complement System Proteins / deficiency
  • Dapsone / therapeutic use
  • Dermatologic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hyperpigmentation / etiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Recurrence
  • Urticaria / complications
  • Urticaria / diagnosis*
  • Urticaria / drug therapy
  • Urticaria / metabolism
  • Urticaria / pathology
  • Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / complications
  • Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / diagnosis*
  • Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / drug therapy
  • Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / metabolism
  • Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / pathology

Substances

  • Dermatologic Agents
  • Dapsone
  • Complement System Proteins