Urticaria classification

Urticaria Microchapters
Home
Patient Information
Overview
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Urticaria from other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
Risk Factors
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Diagnosis
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Other Diagnostic Studies
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Primary Prevention
Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy
Future or Investigational Therapies
Case Studies
Case #1
Urticaria classification On the Web
Most recent articles
Most cited articles
Review articles
CME Programs
Powerpoint slides
Images
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Urticaria classification All Images X-rays Echo & Ultrasound CT Images MRI
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse
NICE Guidance
FDA on Urticaria classification
CDC on Urticaria classification
Urticaria classification in the news
Blogs on Urticaria classification
Directions to Hospitals Treating Urticaria
Risk calculators and risk factors for Urticaria classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

There are numerous types of urticaria. Based on the way wheals appear, they can be divided into spontaneous and physical urticaria. Spontaneous urticaria is further divided into acute and chronic urticaria, based on their duration. Mechanical forces and pressure on the skin or the ambient air temperature are responsible factors in development of physical urticaria, which can be divided into more subtypes, such as dermographic urticaria, delayed pressure urticaria, cold contact urticaria, heat contact urticaria, solar urticaria and vibratory urticaria. Besides these two main classes of urticaria there are other particular types such as, cholinergic urticaria, adrenergic urticaria, aquagenic urticaria, contact urticaria, Drug-induced urticaria.

Classification

Urticaria may be classified according to roles of triggers into two subtypes:

• Spontaneous urticaria
  • Acute urticaria: Spontaneous appearance of wheals, most days in a period less than 6 weeks.
  • Chronic urticaria: Spontaneous appearance of wheals with more than 6 weeks duration.
    • Chronic continuous: Involvement in every days or most days.
    • Chronic recurrent: There are symptom free intervals.
• Inducible urticaria
  • Dermographic urticaria: Appearance of wheals 1-5 minutes after a mechanical shearing force.
  • Delayed pressure urticaria: Appearance of wheals 3-8 hours after a vertical pressure.
  • Cold contact urticaria:
    • Appearance of wheals due to cold temperature, such as ice and cold air, water or wind).
    • It is divided into primary and secondary subtypes. In primary form there is no known trigger causing the urticaria, besides cold temperature. Nevertheless, secondary form of cold contact urticaria is also associated to other triggers, such as medications, bacterial or viral infections, Hymenoptera stings, immunotherapy and hematological malignancies.
  • Heat contact urticaria
  • Solar urticaria: Appearance of wheals due to sunlight/ultraviolet light.
  • Vibratory urticaria: Appearance of wheals due to vibratory forces, such as pneumatic hammer.
  • Cholinergic urticaria: Usually due presents due to exercise or after a hot shower.
  • Adrenergic urticaria
  • Aquagenic urticaria
  • Contact urticaria (allergic or pseudoallergic)
  • Drug-induced urticaria

Urticaria

Acute (Less than 6 weeks)

Chronic (More than 6 weeks)

Dermographic urticaria

Spontaneous (No identifiable trigger)

Inducible (Identifiable trigger)

Delayed pressure urticaria

Cold contact urticaria

Heat contact urticaria

Solar urticaria]]

Vibratory urticaria

Cholinergic urticaria

Adrenergic urticaria

Aquagenic urticaria

Contact urticaria

Drug-induced urticaria