Retrospective evaluation of children with chronic urticaria

Chronic urticaria is a rare disease in children characterized by skin itching, erythema and transient plaques or angioedema, which impairs quality of life. There is limited research on the clinical features and etiology of chronic urticaria in children. In this study, it was planned to reveal the laboratory and demographic characteristics of the patients followed up in Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Pediatric Allergy Outpatient Clinic with the diagnosis of chronic urticaria and to determine the factors affecting the prognosis of the disease. In the study, the data of 180 patients with a diagnosis of CU in the records between 2012 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The data of 114 patients who met the criteria for the diagnosis of CU were obtained from hospital file records and hospital information system. Of the patients diagnosed with chronic urticaria, 45 (39.5%) were female and 69 (60.5%) were male. The median age was 11 years (1.5-18). Of the patients, 86 (75.4%) were diagnosed as chronic spontaneous urticaria and 28 (24.6%) as chronic inducible urticaria. 21 (18.4%) of the patients had at least one allergic disease and 28 (24.6%) had a family history of atopy. It was found that 32 (28.1%) of the patients completely resolved, 39 (34.2%) used medication as needed, 24 (21.1%) needed continuous antihistamines, 19 (16.7%) used omalizumab and 9 patients (47.3%) who used omalizumab had complete resolution of urticaria. The median eosinophil count and eosinophil percentage of patients who needed omalizumab were significantly lower than those who did not need omalizumab. IgE level was significantly higher in patients who needed omalizumab compared to others In conclusion, it was determined that the majority of patients with chronic urticaria were successfully treated with a single antihistamine drug, laboratory tests did not contribute to the etiology and prognosis of urticaria, and may cause resistant chronic urticaria in patients with low eosinophil ratio and value and high IgE levels.