Angioedema: 5 years' experience, with a review of the disorder's presentation and treatment.
Angioedema is a problem that the otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon is often asked to treat. This report concerns 17 patients admitted for care during a 5-year period. At their initial presentation, 94% of these patients manifested signs and symptoms of angioedema in the head and neck; three of them required urgent tracheotomy or intubation. As treatment of complement-mediated angioedema is distinct, an etiology-specific diagnostic and treatment protocol is presented. Of the patients, 35% had recent initiation of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor therapy for hypertension, and 6% demonstrated classic hereditary angioedema. However, the majority of them (59%) had unclear etiologies for their symptoms. Since angioedema is the final result of several possible abnormalities, a thorough knowledge of the differential diagnosis and clinical presentation is vital to patient management.
Megerian
C A
CA
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland, OH 44106.
Arnold
J E
JE
Berger
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000799:Angioedema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors