title: Treatment of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria.
abstract: Treatment of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) involves reducing symptoms with the least invasive therapy and carefully balancing risk and benefit. The mainstay of therapy is the use of antihistamines with or without the use of intermittent pulses of corticosteroids. Alternative therapies to chronic corticosteroids include leukotriene antagonists, plasma-phoresis, dapsone, stanazolol, hydroxychloroquine, methotrexate, cyclosporin, tacrolimus, and warfarin. A practical approach to CIU bases treatment and severity on the patients' previous response to therapy. Therapy goals are to reduce symptoms until spontaneous resolution occurs. Management of CIU patients can be both frustrating and rewarding.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of South Florida Health Sciences Center, USA.
authors.forename: Brett E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Stanaland
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D004837:Epinephrine