Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of urticaria in children

Abstract

Urticaria is one of the most common skin disorders in children. We define acute urticaria when it persists for less than 6 weeks, and chronic urticaria (CU), when it persists longer. Urticaria affects 25 % of the population; in most cases, it is acute urticaria. CU represents 0.1 %, with higher prevalence in women (60 %). CU is subclassified in chronic inducible urticaria when there is a specific external trigger and chronic spontaneous urticaria if it is not present. Although the pathophysiology is complex, mast cell degranulation is recognized as a key event. Second-generation H1 antihistamines are the first line of treatment in both, acute urticaria and CU. In unresponsive patients, other therapies will be considered. We will emphasize in CU due to the difficulty in its diagnosis, the increase in its prevalence and the severe impairment it causes in children´s quality of life.