Table 1.
Epidemiological and clinical data of the patients with chronic urticaria
| Parameter | CSU | IU | CSU and IU | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex: | ||||
| Males | 225 (33.7%) | 148 (38.6%) | 9 (22.0%) | 0.06 |
| Females | 442 (66.3%) | 235 (61.4%) | 32 (78.0%) | |
| Age [years]: | ||||
| ≤ 20 | 35 (5.2%) | 38 (9.2%) | 1 (2.4%) | 0.03 |
| 21–30 | 132 (19.8%) | 92 (24.0%) | 7 (17.1%) | |
| 31–40 | 165 (24.7%) | 86 (22.5%) | 12 (29.3%) | |
| 41–50 | 131 (19.6%) | 73 (19.1%) | 7 (17.1%) | |
| 51–60 | 100 (15.0%) | 48 (12.5%) | 10 (24.4%) | |
| 61–70 | 89 (13.3%) | 35 (9.1%) | 3 (7.3%) | |
| 71–80 | 14 (2.1%) | 7 (1.8%) | 1 (2.4%) | |
| ≥ 81 | 1 (0.1%) | 4 (1.0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Concomitant allergic diseases: | ||||
| Allergic rhinitis | 211 (31.6%) | 102 (26.6%) | 13 (31.7%) | 0.23 |
| Bronchial asthma | 89 (13.3%) | 46 (12.0%) | 3 (7.3%) | 0.48 |
| Atopic dermatitis | 68 (10.2%) | 37 (9.7%) | 3 (7.3%) | 0.82 |
| Food allergy | 45 (6.7%) | 14 (3.7%) | 3 (7.3%) | 0.1 |
| Family history of urticaria: | ||||
| Yes | 78 (11.7%) | 23 (6.0%) | 8 (19.5%) | 0.001 |
| No | 589 (88.3%) | 360 (94.0%) | 33 (80.5%) | |
| Frequency of wheal outbreaks: | ||||
| Every day | 73 (10.9%) | 66 (17.2%) | 6 (14.6%) | 0.09 |
| Several times a week | 116 (17.4%) | 69 (18.0%) | 6 (14.6%) | |
| Several times a month | 186 (27.9%) | 89 (23.2%) | 8 (19.5%) | |
| Once a month | 140 (21.0%) | 62 (16.2%) | 8 (19.5%) | |
| Less than once a month | 146 (21.9%) | 88 (23.0%) | 11 (26.8%) | |
| Extent of the skin lesions: | ||||
| Localized | 266 (39.9%) | 210 (54.8%) | 16 (39.0%) | < 0.001 |
| Generalized | 387 (58.0%) | 163 (42.6%) | 23 (56.1%) | |
| Swelling of the tongue and/or lips: | ||||
| Yes | 181 (27.1%) | 88 (23.0%) | 14 (34.1%) | < 0.05 |
| No | 481 (72.1%) | 290 (75.7%) | 25 (61.0%) | |
| Duration of the urticaria episode: | ||||
| A few minutes | 67 (10.0%) | 103 (26.9%) | 4 (9.8%) | < 0.001 |
| A few hours | 373 (55.9%) | 195 (50.9%) | 21 (51.2%) | |
| All day | 117 (17.5%) | 46 (12.0%) | 9 (22.0%) | |
| A few days | 108 (16.2%) | 37 (9.7%) | 5 (12.2%) | |
| The most troublesome symptoms: | ||||
| Pruritus | 513 (76.9%) | 288 (75.2%) | 26 (63.4%) | 0.14 |
| Burning | 161 (24.1%) | 82 (21.4%) | 15 (36.6%) | 0.08 |
| The presence of the skin lesions | 241 (36.1%) | 135 (35.2%) | 16 (39.0%) | 0.88 |
| Swelling of the tongue and lips | 82 (12.3%) | 55 (14.4%) | 8 (19.5%) | 0.31 |
CSU – chronic spontaneous urticaria, IU – inducible urticaria.