Aquagenic urticaria
| Aquagenic urticaria | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | dermatology |
| ICD-10 | L50.8 (ILDS L50.830) |
| OMIM | 191850 |
| MeSH | C562481 |
Aquagenic urticaria, also known as water allergy and water urticaria, is a diagnosed form of physical urticaria. The defining symptom is a painful skin reaction resulting from contact with water. It is sometimes described as an allergy, although it is not a true histamine-releasing allergic reaction like other forms of urticaria. This seems to not be affected by different temperatures of water, such as cold or hot, or chemicals such as fluorine and chlorine, since it is reproduced with distilled water and medical saline. According to Gerald W. Volcheck, “Urticaria represents transient, localized areas of oedema within skin tissue that appear as pruritic, raised erythematous, skin-colored or white, non-pitting, blanching plaques of variable size”. The term urticaria was first used by the Scottish physician William Cullen in 1769. It originates from the Latin word urtica, meaning stinging hair or nettle, as the classical presentation follows the contact with a perennial flowering plant Urtica dioica. The history of urticaria dates back to 1000–2000 BC with its reference as a wind-type concealed rash in the book The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic from Huangdi Neijing. Hippocrates in the 4th century first described urticaria as "knidosis" after the Greek word knido for nettle. The discovery of mast cells by Paul Ehrlich in 1879 brought urticaria and similar conditions under a comprehensive idea of allergic conditions.
Aquagenic urticaria, once known as a rare physical urticaria, is reclassified as separate subtype of urticaria. It was first reported by Walter B Shelley et al in 1964. Pruritic hives on contact with water mostly presenting for the first time during puberty in females of reproductive age is seen in aquagenic urticaria. Males are less often affected. Even if majority cases are sporadic in nature, familial cases are also recorded. Water in all forms such as tap or sea water, swimming pool, sweat, tears, saliva can induce the lesions.
The symptoms of aquagenic urticaria or water allergy (being allergic to water) are similar to all the other types of physical hives that are caused by various things. This may include wheals or small raised hives, intense itching, skin flushing in the areas that are prone to water contact. The symptoms may appear within minutes after the body comes in contact with the water. Aquagenic urticaria is a rare condition in which itchy urticaria (hives) develop rapidly after the skin comes in contact with water, regardless of its temperature. The hives associated with aquagenic urticaria are typically small (approximately 1–3 mm), red- or skin-colored welts (called wheals) with clearly defined edges. The rash most commonly develops on the neck, upper trunk and arms, although it can occur anywhere on the body. Some people have itching too. Once the water source is removed, the rash generally fades within 30 to 60 minutes.
...
Wikipedia