Chronic spontaneous urticaria revealed: Non-skin symptoms in focus!

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology's recent article investigated the prevalence of fever, joint pain, and malaise among chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) patients, examining their triggers, associations with clinical and laboratory features, and impacts on daily life and treatment outcomes. Polina Pyatilova and colleagues included 2,521 CSU patients aged 16 and above from the chronic urticaria registry.   

One-third of CSU patients (31.2%) experienced one or more non-skin related symptoms (NSRS) such as recurrent fever (5.3%), joint pain and/or muscle pain (JBMP) (19.1%), and malaise (18.6%). These symptoms were associated with triggers like food and infections, longer-lasting hives, sleep disturbances, anxiety, comorbidities such as atopic dermatitis and gastrointestinal disorders, and elevated inflammatory markers. They also correlated with higher disease activity, longer disease duration, more frequent angioedema, poorer quality of life, and inadequate control of CSU.  

Non-skin-related symptoms in CSU patients highlight notable associations with disease severity, impaired quality of life, and challenges in disease management and control.