CHRONIC URTICARIA AS A MANIFESTATION OF THE LATE-PHASE REACTION

Urticarial lesions may vary in their morphology, duration, and histolo gy among patients. A subset of urticaria patients has been identified clinically by their exaggerated disease activity and relative resistan ce to antihistamine therapy. Lesional skin biopsy specimens of these p atients demonstrate a persistence of polymorphonuclear cells that simu late the early phase of the late cutaneous reaction. We have termed th is condition polymorphonuclear cell-predominant urticaria (PPU), and r ecognition of individuals in this patient subgroup has important thera peutic implications.