URTICARIA, CHRONIC: AUTOIMMUNE AND IDIOPATHIC

Course overview

Urticaria (i.e., hives), a skin eruption characterized by one or more wheals of various sizes that burn and itch intensely, is a physiological reaction to cutaneous mast cell release of chemical mediators that causes the escape of plasma from blood vessels into dermal tissue. Lesions usually fade after only a few hours (i.e., acute urticaria), but new lesions can subsequently develop elsewhere on the body. This continuing education module is designed to give the reader/learner an increased understanding of current knowledge about chronic urticaria, both autoimmune and idiopathic, its etiology, clinical presentation, symptoms, and treatment and to aid in caring for the patient with this diagnosis. Readers may explore any or all of the topics. One contact hour of continuing education credit is available for those who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form.