The hives dilemma.

Reucrrent or persistent hives may sometime be due to an apparently insoluble emotional dilemma. Five case studies demonstrate this association. They show that resolution of the dilemma can be curative. When the dilemma is unalterable, explaining this insoluble conflict-hives phenomenon to the patient will ameliorate symptoms. Such an emotional history should be sought in patients with hives and, when found, should be pursued along with other possible causes discovered during the initial evaluation.