title: Chronic autoreactive urticaria at six years of age.
abstract: A case of chronic urticaria in a child 6 years old is described. The strong skin reactivity upon intradermal injection of autologous serum suggested an autoreactive pathogenesis; however, patient's serum was unable to induce histamine release from basophils in-vitro, indicating the presence of a histamine-releasing factor specific for mast cells, and possibly other than an anti-FcepsilonRI or anti-IgE antibody. Intradermal test with autologous serum may be useful in revealing the autoreactive nature of chronic urticaria and can avoid a frustrating search for other causes of the disease. In children presenting with chronic or recurrent urticaria the diagnostic workup should include the autologous serum skin test.
authors.affiliation: Clinica San Carlo, Paderno Dugnano (Milano), Italy. r.asero@libero.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012882:Skin Tests; D014581:Urticaria / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology