title: [Epidemiology and clinical aspects of cold urticaria].
abstract: To study the frequency and clinical aspects of cold urticaria in Central Europe, patient data from a university dermatology clinic and a private dermatology office between 1984-94 were analysed and the patients re-examined if possible. The incidence of cold urticaria was found to be 0.05%. Of the 56 patients with cold urticaria (31 women, 25 men), 49 had idiopathic cold urticaria. The mean age was 41.0 +/- 15.6 year, the mean duration of disease 7.9 +/- 5.8 years. Atopy was found in 46.5% of patients, and 23.2% of the patients suffered from other types of urticaria (cholinergic, chronic idiopathic, dermographic, aquagenic and heat-induced). Laboratory examinations were only rarely abnormal. 44 patients were treated with antihistamines, with generally only moderate symptomatic improvement. Treatment with antibiotics (penicillin, 1-2 mil IU/d over 2-4 weeks, n = 18, or tetracyclines, 2 g/d over 2 weeks, n = 10) induced full remission in 13 patients and symptomatic improvement in 8. During an average of 6.5 year-follow-up, 20 of 43 symptomatic patients went into spontaneous remission. The good therapeutic response to antibiotics in this study underlines the need for a better elucidation of the cause of cold urticaria, in view of possible infectious causes.
authors.affiliation: Hautklinik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zuberbier
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Czarnetzki-Henz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001604:Berlin / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014581:Urticaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology