title: Angioedema without urticaria in childhood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been no separate study investigating angioedema without urticaria (Aw/oU) exclusively in children so far. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency, clinical presentation, etiology, management and follow-up of Aw/oU in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective study that included all consecutive patients with a history of Aw/oU referred to our clinic between January 2011 and May 2012. A standard diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm was applied to all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of Aw/oU was found to be 1.6% during the study period. An etiological factor could be found in only 45 patients (49%). The causes of Aw/oU were infection (21%), allergy (14%), thyroid autoimmunity (TA)-related (8%) and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug hypersensitivity (6%), and idiopathic angioedema (51%). There was no hereditary type I, II or acquired type of angioedema or rare syndromes associated with Aw/oU. The median follow-up was 16 months (range: 12-30 months). Antihistamine prophylaxis was initiated at therapeutic doses in 20 patients with frequently recurrent angioedema due to idiopathic and euthyroid TA-related Aw/oU for 3 months. These patients responded to antihistamine prophylaxis for 3 months. Four patients relapsed after cessation of prophylaxis at the end of 3 months. Antihistamine prophylaxis was prolonged to 6 months in three patients and to 9 months in one patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Angioedema without urticaria in children is a rare condition and no etiology can be identified in half of them. Antihistamine treatment alone is sufficient, and prognosis is good in recurrent non hereditary cases in a short-term follow-up period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy and Asthma, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hacer I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Ertoy Karagol
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakirtas
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Topal
authors.forename: Mehmet S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Demirsoy
authors.forename: Ipek
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Turktas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D000799:Angioedema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006633:Histamine Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D006633:Histamine Antagonists
keywords: angioedema; children; idiopathic; urticaria