Masqueraders of angioedema and urticaria.
OBJECTIVE
Reading this article will remind the reader that some patients presenting with complaints of urticaria and angioedema may not have urticaria or angioedema at all, but may have other causes, often unusual, sometimes treatable. It will also increase the reader's ability to recognize masqueraders of angioedema, urticaria, and facial swelling thought to be angioedema.


METHODS
Data for this article come mainly from the authors' personal experiences and selected references to illustrate points made in the article.


METHODS
The criteria used are patients and articles from the authors' experiences that illustrate the point of this article that patients presenting with urticaria and angioedema may have other diseases and some of these are treatable.


RESULTS
The objectives will be met by patient presentations plus pertinent literature review.


CONCLUSIONS
Some patients presenting as angioedema and urticaria have swelling and skin lesions attributable to other causes. Although they are uncommon, they are sometimes treatable. Not all patients referred to an allergist for angioedema have angioedema.
Van Dellen
Richard G
RG
Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. vandellenrichard@mayo.edu
Maddox
Daniel E
DE
Dutta
Ellen J
EJ
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000150:complications; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000799:Angioedema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008556:Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000150:complications; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000150:complications; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*