Clinical features of elderly chronic urticaria

• Published in: The Korean journal of internal medicine Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 800 - 806
• Main Authors: Ban, Ga-Young, Kim, Mi-Yea, Yoo, Hye-Soo, Nahm, Dong-Ho, Ye, Young-Min, Shin, Yoo-Seob, Park, Hae-Sim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Association of Internal Medicine 01.11.2014; 대한내과학회
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Child; Chronic Disease; Comorbidity; Dermatitis, Atopic - diagnosis; Dermatitis, Atopic - epidemiology; Enterotoxins - immunology; Female; Hospitals, University; Humans; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Prevalence; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Urticaria - blood; Urticaria - diagnosis; Urticaria - epidemiology; Urticaria - immunology; Young Adult; 내과학; Republic of Korea; Aged; Specific IgE to staphylococcal superantigen; Chronic urticaria; Dermatitis, atopic
• ISSN: 1226-3303; 2005-6648; 2005-6648
• DOI: 10.3904/kjim.2014.29.6.800

Chronic urticaria (CU) is defined as itchy wheals lasting 6 weeks or more. As the aged population increases worldwide, it is essential to identify the specific features of this disease in the elderly population. We investigated the prevalence and clinical features of CU in elderly patients. Medical records of 837 CU patients from the outpatient Allergy Clinic of Ajou University Hospital, Korea were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria according to the EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/WAO guidelines were included. Patients older than 60 years were defined as elderly. Of the 837 patients, 37 (4.5%) were elderly. In elderly versus nonelderly CU patients, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) was significantly higher (37.8% vs. 21.7%, respectively; p = 0.022), while that of aspirin intolerance was lower (18.9% vs. 43.6%, respectively; p = 0.003) in terms of comorbid conditions. The prevalences of serum specific immunoglobulin E antibodies to staphylococcal enterotoxin A and staphylococcal enterotoxin B were considerably higher in elderly CU patients with AD than in those without AD (37.5% vs. 0%, respectively). Elderly patients with CU had a higher prevalence of AD. Therefore, there is a need to recognize the existence of AD in elderly CU patients.