Angioneurotic Edema

Angioneurotic edema is a relatively common presentation in the emergency department (ED). It presents as unpredictable frequent edematous episodes of cutaneous and mucosal tissues such as lips, eyes, oral cavity, larynx, and gastrointestinal system (GIS). Urticaria (hives) and angioedema are part of a spectrum of allergic symptoms and occasionally have a non-allergic etiology. Laryngeal edema causing airway obstruction with the potentially fatal outcome if the diagnosis is late. In the early medical literature, it was initially named as ephemeral cutaneous nodosities, ephemeral congestive tumors of the skin, wandering edema, and giant hives. After the year 2007, angioneurotic edema (ANE) was named as angioedema (AE) in the literature.