The persistence of chronic spontaneous urticaria in childhood is associated with the urticaria activity score.

BACKGROUND

There is little information regarding the etiology and natural course of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in childhood.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the etiology, prognosis, and the factors associated with the prognosis of CSU in children.

METHOD

Data from children with CSU who had been diagnosed between 1992 and 2015 were analyzed. A telephone interview was done to assess the current status of these patients. Remission was defined as the disappearance of urticaria for >6 months.

RESULTS

A total of 222 children with CSU were evaluated. The median age of symptom onset was 8.8 years (interquartile range [IQR], 4.6-12.3 years), median duration of urticaria was 23 months (IQR, 7-48 months), and the median sum of the daily urticaria activity score of 7 consecutive days (UAS7) was 28 (IQR, 21-42). Accompanying angioedema was reported by 107 patients (48.2%), whereas 27.1% of the study population had autoantibody positivity. Autologous serum skin testing results were positive in 43 (34.1%); skin-prick testing results revealed atopy in 55 children (27.9%). Parasites (4.8%), pollen sensitization (1.5%), food allergy (0.9%), urinary tract infection (0.9%), and Hashimoto thyroiditis (0.5%) were determined as etiologic factors of CSU. The patients were followed up for a median time of 15 months (IQR, 5-36.5 months). Remission was observed in 10.6, 29.3, and 44.5% of the patients in 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. In multivariate regression analysis, a UAS7 of >28 at admission was found to be a risk factor for persistence of urticaria (odds ratio 6.22 [95% confidence interval, 1.54-25.15; p = 0.010).

CONCLUSION

The etiology of CSU in children was mostly idiopathic despite detailed investigation. In childhood, the natural course of CSU was favorable, and nearly half of the patients recovered after 5 years of disease duration. A high UAS7 at admission seemed to be a significant risk factor for the persistence of symptoms.