[Chronic superficial urticaria associated with solid cancers: Case report and literature review]. / Urticaire chronique superficielle associée aux cancers solides : un cas et revue de la littérature.

BACKGROUND: Chronic urticaria is common and is generally idiopathic ("spontaneous"). Links between solid cancer and chronic urticaria have been mentioned in the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report the case of a 63-year-old man presenting with superficial chronic urticaria associated with adenocarcinoma of the ethmoid sinus. We discuss the possibility of systemic origin in light of the severity of the disease and its resistance to treatment. Only recurrent ethmoidal cancer was highlighted. Curative care resulted in complete resolution of the urticaria without relapse at 32 months of follow-up. DISCUSSION: In a literature review, we collected 17 cases of superficial chronic urticaria associated with cancer. These cases were marked by synchronous progression and by the inefficacy (86%) of anti-histamines and systemic corticosteroids. Although cases of chronic superficial urticaria associated with cancer remain rare, the condition merits discussion due to its severity and significant resistance to therapy.

[Systemic urticaria in 2014]. / Urticaires systémiques en 2014.

Systemic urticaria are defined as urticaria, most often chronic, associated with systemic diseases. At present time, urticarial vasculitis and neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis associated to autoinflammatory syndromes are not considered to be subtypes of chronic spontaneous urticaria due to their distinctly clinical and histological characteristics as well different pathomechanisms. Sometimes, chronic urticaria is associated to thyroid autoimmunity. However, the majority of cases of chronic spontaneous urticaria have no discernible cause and further investigations are not necessary, as already suggested by some authors and French consensus conference more than 10 years ago.