Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU)
Clinical manifestations, epidemiology, diagnosis, evaluation, DDx, prognosis
ðđāļāļģāļāļģāļัāļāļāļ§āļēāļĄ
(Terminology)
|
āļāļģ |
āļāļ§āļēāļĄāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ |
|
CSU |
Urticaria ± Angioedema āļāļēāļ ≥6 āļŠัāļāļāļēāļŦ์,
āđāļĄ่āļĄี external trigger āļัāļāđāļāļ |
|
Chronic idiopathic urticaria |
āļāļģāđāļิāļĄ āđāļ้āđāļāļāļัāļāđāļ้
āđāļ่ CSU āđāļŦāļĄāļēāļ°āļŠāļĄāļāļ§่āļē |
|
Spontaneous |
āđāļĒāļāļāļēāļ Inducible
urticaria āļี่āļāļĢāļ°āļุ้āļāđāļāļĒ heat/cold/pressure/exercise āļŊāļĨāļŊ |
|
Isolated angioedema |
āļ้āļē idiopathic
āđāļĨāļ°āđāļĄ่āđāļ่ bradykinin-mediated → āļัāļāđāļ็āļ CSU āđāļ้ |
Phenotype:
- Urticaria
āđāļ่āļ ~50%
- Urticaria
+ Angioedema ~40%
- Angioedema
āđāļ่āļ ~10%
ðđEpidemiology
- Prevalence
~1% āļāļāļāļāļĢāļ°āļāļēāļāļĢ
- āļāļāđāļ้āļุāļāļ§ัāļĒ āđāļ่āļāļāļĄāļēāļāđāļ adult āļŦāļิāļ
> āļāļēāļĒ (2:1)
- āļāļēāļĒุāđāļĢิ่āļĄāļ่āļ§āļĒ: 30–50 āļี
ðđClinical Manifestations
Urticaria (hives)
3 āļĨัāļāļĐāļāļ°āļŠāļģāļัāļ
1.
Wheal āļĄีāļāļ§āļĄāļāļĢāļāļāļĨāļēāļ ±
erythema
2.
Pruritus āđāļ่āļ
3.
āļŦāļēāļĒāđāļāđāļ <24 āļั่āļ§āđāļĄāļ āđāļāļĒāđāļĄ่āļิ้āļāļĢāļāļĒāļāļāļ้āļģ
āļĨัāļāļĐāļāļ°āđāļิ่āļĄāđāļิāļĄ:
- āļĢูāļāļāļĢāļāļŦāļĨāļēāļāļŦāļĨāļēāļĒ: round/annular/serpiginous
- āļāļēāļ merge āļัāļāđāļ้ āļāļāļัāļāļิāļ§āļŦāļัāļāđāļĨ้āļ§āđāļ็āļāđāļĒāļāļ°āļึ้āļ
- āļัāļāļĢāļāļāļ§āļ sleep/work āđāļĨāļ°āđāļ็āļ āļĄāļēāļāļāļāļāļāļĨāļēāļāļืāļ
Lesion >24 āļāļĄ., āļāļ§āļ/āđāļŠāļ,
āļิ้āļāļĢāļāļĒāļ้āļģ → āļิāļāļึāļ vasculitis
Angioedema
- Subcutaneous/submucosal
edema
- āļāļēāļāļēāļĢ: pain/tingling > itch
- āļāļāļāļĒู่āļāļēāļ 1–3 āļ§ัāļ
- āļ่āļāļĒāļี่ face/lips/eyelids/genital/extr.
- āļ้āļē isolated + airway/GI involvement → āļิāļāļึāļ bradykinin-mediated
disorders (ACEI, hereditary, C1 inhibitor def)
Systemic symptoms (~30%)
- Headache,
fatigue, arthralgia, GI Sx
- āļāļāđāļāđāļĢāļāļĢุāļāđāļĢāļāļāļ§่āļē āđāļĨāļ°
CRP/ESR ↑, tryptase āļŠูāļāļāļ§่āļēāļāļāļิ, antihistamine-response āđāļĒ่āļāļ§่āļē
ðđAssociated Conditions
|
āļāļĨุ่āļĄāđāļĢāļ |
āļĢāļēāļĒāļĨāļ°āđāļีāļĒāļ |
|
Allergy/Atopy |
Pediatric āđāļ่āļ: atopic
dermatitis, asthma, food allergy ↑ |
|
Autoimmune disease |
Thyroid (hypo > hyper) āđāļ่āļāļŠุāļ 10–30%, SLE, RA, SjÃķgren’s, T1DM, Celiac |
|
Thyroid autoAb |
āļāļāļ่āļāļĒāđāļ CSU
āđāļ่āļāļิāļ euthyroid āļ็āđāļ้ → āļĄัāļāļื้āļāļĒāļē
āđāļĨāļ° persistent |
|
Malignancy |
āļ้āļāļĄูāļĨāđāļĄ่āļŠāļāļāļāļĨ้āļāļāļัāļ
→ āđāļĄ่āļāļ§āļĢ screen āļ้āļēāđāļĄ่āļĄี red
flags |
ðđEvaluation &
Diagnosis
Diagnosis: clinical-based
- Urticaria/angioedema
recurrent ≥6 āļŠัāļāļāļēāļŦ์
- āđāļĄ่āļĄี trigger āļัāļāđāļāļ
- āđāļĄ่āļĄี red flags āļŦāļĢืāļ systemic disease āđāļ่āļ
āļāļĢāļ°āļ§ัāļิāļŠāļģāļัāļ
- Drug
(NSAIDs, Antibiotics, Hormones)
- Infection,
travel, systemic Sx
- Angioedema
pattern (āđāļĒāļ bradykinin-mediated)
- Physical
triggers āļĢ่āļ§āļĄāļ้āļ§āļĒāđāļŦāļĄ
Minimal Laboratory Workup (āļāļēāļĄ guideline)
- CBC
+ diff
- CRP
āļŦāļĢืāļ ESR
- TSH
→ optional (āđāļŦāļĄāļēāļ°āļัāļ adult āļŦāļĢืāļāļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ autoimmune)
80–90% = āđāļĄ่āļĄี identifiable cause
(idiopathic)
āļ้āļēāļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ systemic disease (elevated ESR
/ CRP):
- ANA,
complements, LFT, SPEP (serum protein electrophoresis), HBV/HCV,
cryoglobulin āļŊāļĨāļŊ → āļāļēāļĄ context
āđāļĄื่āļāđāļŦāļĢ่āļāļ§āļĢāļāļģ Skin biopsy?
- Lesion
>24 āļāļĄ. āļŦāļĢืāļāđāļ็āļ/āļāļ§āļ/āđāļŠāļāļĢ้āļāļ
- Residual
hyperpigmentation / purpura
- CRP/ESR
āļŠูāļāđāļ่āļ
- āļื้āļ antihistamine
→ Rule out urticarial vasculitis
Histopath: dermal edema + perivascular lymphocytes,
eosinophils ± neutrophils
→ āđāļĄ่āļĄี leukocytoclasis
ðđDifferential Diagnosis (āļāļģāļāļēāļĄ red flags)
|
āđāļĢāļ |
Clue |
|
Urticarial vasculitis |
Lesion >48 āļāļĄ.,
painful, purpura, ↑ESR/CRP |
|
SLE |
systemic sign: fever, arthritis,
nephritis, cytopenia |
|
Cryoglobulinemia |
Cold-induced, HCV-related |
|
Schnitzler syndrome |
Monoclonal IgM/IgG + fever + bone
pain |
|
Mastocytosis |
Flush + UP (urticarial pigmentosa)
lesions + systemic Sx |
|
Bullous pemphigoid (early) |
Urticarial plaques progressing to
blisters |
|
HES, CAPS |
marked eosinophilia / recurrent
fever, early childhood onset |
HES: Hypereosinophilic syndrome; CAPS: cryopyrin-associated
periodic syndromes
ðđPathogenesis (āļŠāļĢุāļāļāļĪāļĐāļีāļŦāļĨัāļ)
|
āļāļĪāļĐāļี |
Key concept |
|
Autoimmune (Type I/IIb) |
IgG autoAb āļ่āļ FcÎĩRIÎą āļŦāļĢืāļ IgE → Mast cell activation |
|
Coagulation involvement |
Thrombin → Mast cell activation → D-dimer ↑ |
|
Cellular defects |
Mast cells hyperresponsive,
basopenia, impaired basophil FcÎĩRI
signaling |
āđāļĄ่āļĄี test āđāļāļี่āļāļģāđāļāļēāļ°āļāļāļŠāļģāļŦāļĢัāļ
routine use
ASST / basophil activation tests = research āđāļ่āļēāļั้āļ
ðđNatural History &
Prognosis
|
āļัāļ§āđāļĨāļāļŠāļģāļัāļ |
āļāļ§āļēāļĄāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ |
|
Duration āļāļāļิ |
2–5 āļี |
|
Remission 1 āļี |
30–50% |
|
Persistent >5 āļี |
≤30% |
|
āđāļ็āļ |
Remission rate āļŠูāļāļāļ§่āļē |
Predictors of prolonged/severe disease
- Angioedema
āļĢ่āļ§āļĄāļ้āļ§āļĒ
- Autoimmune
thyroid disease / autoantibodies
- Severe
disease activity
- Basopenia,
eosinopenia
- Hypertension
|
ðđClinical Pearls
|
āļāļēāļĢāļูāđāļĨāļĢัāļāļĐāļē Chronic Spontaneous
Urticaria (CSU)
ðĐš āđāļāļ§āļāļēāļāļāļēāļĢāđāļŦ้āļāļģāđāļāļ°āļāļģāļู้āļ่āļ§āļĒ
(Patient Education)
āļŠิ่āļāļŠāļģāļัāļāļี่āļู้āļ่āļ§āļĒāļāļ§āļĢāļĢู้
- āļāļāļิ āđāļĄ่āļัāļāļāļĢāļēāļĒ āđāļĨāļ° āđāļĄ่āđāļี่āļĒāļ§āļัāļāđāļĢāļāļิāļāđāļื้āļ
- ~50%
āļŦāļēāļĒāļ āļēāļĒāđāļ 1 āļี
āđāļ่ ~14% āļĒัāļāļĄีāļāļēāļāļēāļĢ >5 āļี - āđāļĄ่āđāļ่āļāļēāļāļēāļĢāđāļ้āļāļēāļŦāļēāļĢ/āļŠāļēāļĢāļิāļĐāđāļāļĢ่āļēāļāļāļēāļĒ
- āļāļēāļĢāļĢัāļāļĐāļēāđāļ็āļ symptom control āđāļĄ่āđāļ่āļāļēāļĢāļŦāļēāļĒāļāļēāļāļัāļāļี
āļัāļāļัāļĒāļāļĢāļ°āļุ้āļāļี่āļāļāđāļ้
|
āļāļĨุ่āļĄ |
āļัāļ§āļāļĒ่āļēāļ |
|
Physical triggers |
Heat, humidity, pressure/tight
clothes |
|
Drugs |
NSAIDs (25–50% āļāļģāđāļŦ้āļāļēāļāļēāļĢāđāļĒ่āļĨāļ) |
|
Diet (modulator) |
Alcohol, spicy/rich/fermented
food |
|
Stress |
āļāļģāđāļŦ้āļāļēāļāļēāļĢāļāļģāđāļĢิāļāđāļ้ |
āļāļิāļāļēāļĒāļัāļāđāļāļāļ§่āļē food allergy āđāļĄ่āđāļ่āļŠāļēāđāļŦāļุ āļึāļāđāļĄ่āļāļģāđāļ็āļāļ้āļāļāļāļĢāļ§āļāđāļ้āļāļēāļŦāļēāļĢ
ð STEPWISE TREATMENT
ALGORITHM (Adult)
▶ Step 1 — Standard-dose Second-generation H1
Antihistamines
āđāļ่āļ
- Cetirizine
10 mg OD
- Levocetirizine
5 mg OD
- Fexofenadine
180 mg OD
- Loratadine
10 mg OD
- Desloratadine
5 mg OD
→ āđāļŦ้ āļุāļāļ§ัāļāļŠāļĄ่āļģāđāļŠāļĄāļ āđāļĄ่āđāļ่ on demand
▶ Step 2 — Up-dosing āļŦāļĢืāļ Combination
āļŦāļēāļāļĒัāļāļāļāļĄีāļāļēāļāļēāļĢāļŦāļĨัāļ 1–2 āļŠัāļāļāļēāļŦ์
- Increase
dose āļŠูāļāļŠุāļ 4 āđāļ่āļēāļāļāļāļĄāļēāļāļĢāļāļēāļ
- āđāļ่āļ Cetirizine 20–40 mg/day āļŦāļĢืāļ Levocetirizine
10–20 mg/day
- āļิāļāļēāļĢāļāļē add‐on:
- H2
blocker: Famotidine 20 mg BID
- Leukotriene
receptor antagonist: Montelukast 10 mg HS
- First-generation
H1 (āđāļāļāļēāļ°āļāļāļāļāļāļ – āđāļĨี่āļĒāļāđāļāļู้āļŠูāļāļāļēāļĒุ/āđāļ็āļāđāļĨ็āļ)
International guideline: āļāļāļ up-dose single
agent
US guideline: āļāļēāļāļāļŠāļĄāļŦāļĨāļēāļĒāļัāļ§āđāļ้
▶ Step 3 — āđāļิ่āļĄ sedating H1 (āđāļāļāļēāļ°āļāļēāļāļĢāļēāļĒ)
- Hydroxyzine
10–25 mg HS (up to 100–200 mg/day)
- Doxepin
10–25 mg HS (āļĢāļ°āļ§ัāļ QT prolongation)
āđāļ้āđāļāļāļēāļ°āļู้āđāļŦāļ่ āļĢāļ°āļ§ัāļāđāļ high fall-risk
/ cognitive impairment
▶ Step 4 — Specialist therapy (Refractory CSU)
āļŠ่āļāļ่āļ Allergy/Immunology āļŦāļĢืāļ Dermatology
āđāļĨืāļāļāđāļ้āļāļēāļĄ availability/contraindication
|
āļāļĨุ่āļĄāļĒāļē |
āļŦāļĄāļēāļĒāđāļŦāļุ |
|
Omalizumab (Anti-IgE) |
1st choice biologic |
|
Dupilumab |
āļัāļ§āđāļĨืāļāļāđāļŦāļĄ่āđāļĄื่āļāļื้āļ
Omalizumab |
|
Cyclosporine |
Monitor renal/BP; āđāļĨี่āļĒāļāđāļāļู้āļŠูāļāļāļēāļĒุ |
|
Systemic steroid (short rescue
only) |
āđāļĄ่āđāļŦ้āđāļ็āļ long-term |
CSU āļี่āļ้āļāļ steroid āļ้āļģāđ
= refractory CSU →
āļāļ§āļĢāļŠ่āļāļ่āļ
ð Systemic
Glucocorticoids (Rescue Only)
āđāļ้āđāļāļāļēāļ°āļāļģāđāļĢิāļāļĢุāļāđāļĢāļ āļāļĢāļ°āļāļāļุāļāļ āļēāļāļีāļ§ิāļāļัāļāđāļāļ
āļัāļ§āļāļĒ่āļēāļ: Prednisone 35–40 mg/day 2–5 āļ§ัāļ
+ taper
→ āļāļēāļāļĄี rebound
flare āļāļāļ°āļĨāļāļĒāļē
ð Assessment of Control
|
āđāļāļĢื่āļāļāļĄืāļ |
āđāļ้āļāļēāļ |
|
UCT (Urticaria Control Test) |
āļ่āļēāļĒ āđāļ้āļุāļ visit |
|
UAS7 |
guideline āđāļāļ°āļāļģ
āđāļ่āļ้āļāļāļัāļāļึāļ 7 āļ§ัāļ |
- āļี: UCT ≥12
- āđāļĒ่: UCT <12
⏳ Maintenance & Tapering
- āđāļŦ้āļĢัāļāļĐāļē control āļāļĒ่āļēāļāļ้āļāļĒ 3 āđāļืāļāļ āļ่āļāļāđāļĢิ่āļĄāļĨāļāļĒāļē
- āļ่āļāļĒāđ āļĨāļāļุāļ 2–4 āļŠัāļāļāļēāļŦ์
- āļŦāļĒุāļāļĒāļēāļี่ āđāļĄ่āļāļāļāļŠāļāļāļ
ðĨ Special Populations
|
āļāļĨุ่āļĄ |
āļ้āļāļāļ§āļĢāļĢāļ°āļ§ัāļ |
|
āđāļ็āļ |
āļŦāļĨีāļāđāļĨี่āļĒāļ first-gen
H1; up‐dosing data āļĒัāļāļāļģāļัāļ |
|
āļู้āļŠูāļāļāļēāļĒุ |
āļĢāļ°āļ§ัāļ sedation/QT
prolongation/renal dosing |
|
āļั้āļāļāļĢāļĢāļ ์ |
āđāļ้ cetirizine/loratadine/fexofenadine;
Omalizumab āđāļ้āđāļ้āļ้āļēāļāļģāđāļ็āļ |
|
Hypertension āļĢ่āļ§āļĄ |
āļิāļāļēāļĢāļāļē CCB
āđāļ่āļ nifedipine |
|
Thyroid autoAb |
āļĢัāļāļĐāļē hypothyroidism
āļ้āļēāļĄี; T4 suppression therapy āļĒัāļ controversial |
ð āđāļĄื่āļāđāļāļāļ§āļĢāļŠ่āļāļ่āļāļู้āđāļี่āļĒāļ§āļāļēāļ
- āļื้āļ Step 1–3
- āļ้āļāļāđāļ้ systemic steroid āļ้āļģāļŦāļĢืāļāļĒāļēāļ§
- āļŠāļāļŠัāļĒ vasculitis āļŦāļĢืāļ systemic disease
- Isolated
angioedema āđāļĄ่āļāļāļ antihistamine → rule out
bradykinin-mediated
āđāļĄ่āļĄีāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļิāļāđāļŦ็āļ:
āđāļŠāļāļāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļิāļāđāļŦ็āļ