Headache deteriorates the quality of life in children with chronic spontaneous urticaria.

BACKGROUND

Quality of life, which is impaired in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), is influenced by comorbid mental disorders. Headaches could be another comorbid mental disorder that affects quality of life in children with CSU.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effect of headaches on urticaria symptoms, disease activity and quality of life in children with CSU.

METHODS

A total of 83 patients with CSU were enrolled in the study and were separated into two groups as those with or without headache. Demographic and clinical characteristics were studied with the Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7), Urticaria Control test (UCT) and Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire (CU-Q2QoL). The headache questionnaire designed according to the Department of International Classification of Headache Disorders, second edition (ICHD-II) was used and VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) and NRS (Numerical Rating Scale) were used to assess the pain measurement. In patients diagnosed with migraine, the paediatric Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (PedMIDAS) was applied.

RESULTS

CU-QoL total scores were significantly higher in patients with CSU with headache than in those without headache (p=0.015). In the five domains of CU-QoL, impact of daily life activities domain and sleep problems domain had higher scores in CSU with headache (p=0.008, 0.028, respectively). There was no significant relationship between UCT, UAS and CU-QoL and headache severity (p<0.05). No differences were found between the groups in respect of duration of urticaria, UAS7 and UCT.

CONCLUSION

Headache may be an important factor that affects and impairs quality of life in children with chronic urticaria.