title: Angioedema: patients experience and treatment relief.
abstract: Angioedema is defined as a swelling of the skin, mucosa and submucosa of the respiratory tract. It may also impair the intestinal epithelium and other mucous membranes. It can be potentially life-threatening if the upper respiratory tract is involved. In these cases emergency treatment is often required in particular if the pharynx and larynx are swollen. Beside the well-known etiologies of allergic angioedema, many forms of nonallergic angioedema are known and in the majority of these forms increased plasma and tissue concentrations of bradykinin play a critical role.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Labormedizin, Kantonsspital Aarau, 5001 Aarau, Switzerland. martha.kaeslinmeyer@ksa.ch
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaeslin
authors.forename: Andreas R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D000799:Angioedema / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D001920:Bradykinin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007830:Larynx / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001920:Bradykinin