Eating increases disease activity in pediatric patients with symptomatic dermographism.

Symptomatic dermographism (SD) is the most common form of chronic inducible urticaria. SD disease activity increases with food intake in adult patients. Whether this is also so in children with SD is currently unknown.

An update on the use of antihistamines in managing chronic urticaria.

Introduction: Urticaria, a mast cell-mediated skin disease, manifests as acute or chronic, with the latter divided into spontaneous and inducible types and requires individualized management, including identifying triggers and comorbidities. Antihistamines, particularly the second generation group, form the mainstay of primary treatment plans consisting of dosage adjustments and/or in combination with other treatment modalities depending on underlying disease control.

Areas Covered: A literature search was conducted using 'antihistamines,' 'urticaria,' 'pharmacogenomics,' 'genomics,' 'biomarkers' and 'treatment response' as key words.

Food-dependent and food-exacerbated symptomatic dermographism: New variants of symptomatic dermographism.

Background: Symptomatic dermographism (SD) is the most common form of chronic inducible urticaria. The criterion standard for diagnosing SD and disease activity assessment in SD is provocation testing. As of now, if and what cofactors have an impact on provocation test results is unknown.