title: Analysis of primary treatment and prognosis of spontaneous urticaria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognosis of spontaneous urticaria in association with early treatment remains unclear. In this study, we retrospectively studied the prognosis of acute spontaneous urticaria in relation to age and treatments in a local clinic of dermatology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 5000 patients who visited an office dermatology clinic, clinical records of patients with spontaneous urticaria were extracted. Their prognosis and the relation to age and treatments were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and generalized Wilcoxon test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 386 patients diagnosed with spontaneous urticaria, 284 patients (73.6%) began treatments within a week after the onset. Their non-remission rates after one week, four weeks and one year from the onset were 26.8%, 15.0% and 6.7%, respectively. The non-remission rates of patients who were 20-years-old or younger by one year after the onset of urticaria, were significantly lower than those of patients older than 20-years-old. No apparent relationship between remission rates and sex or the use of steroids was detected. However, the non-remission rates of urticaria treated with a standard dose of antihistamine were lower than that treated with additional medications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients who began treatments within one week from the onset remitted quickly. However approximately 7% of them continued to suffer from symptoms for more than a year. Such prolongation tended to be seen among patients who required other medications in addition to a standard dose of antihistamine.
authors.affiliation: Tanaka Dermatology and Allergy Clinic, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Integrated Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiragun
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Integrated Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. Electronic address: ed1h-w1de-road@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hide
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Integrated Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiragun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019468:Disease Management; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents
keywords: Clinical course; Kaplan–Meier method; Non-remission rates; Prognosis; Urticaria