Evaluation of patients with symptomatic dermographism

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Immunology
• Allergology

Background:

• Symptomatic dermographism (SD) affects quality of life, causing widespread skin reactions.
• Unlike simple dermographism, SD is provoked by minor skin contact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential triggers and associated conditions in patients with SD.
• To investigate factors contributing to the development of symptomatic dermographism.

Main Methods:

• Studied 40 patients (28 female, 12 male) diagnosed with SD.
• Excluded patients with chronic urticaria, other physical urticarias, or mastocytosis.
• Assessed triggers like psychic factors, atopy, thyroid disease, diabetes, menopause, infections, and drug reactions via history, examination, and skin prick tests.

Main Results:

• Psychic factors triggered SD in 30% of patients.
• Atopy was present in 12.5% with house dust mite sensitivity.
• Temporal links were found with drug reactions (7.5%) and scabies (1 patient).
• Other potential associations included hyperthyroidism (5%), type-II diabetes, menopause, and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Conclusions:

• SD can be associated with specific diseases and triggered by certain conditions, contrary to common belief.
• Psychic factors, drug reactions, and scabies showed a clear temporal relationship with SD onset.
• The link between SD and atopy, thyroid issues, diabetes, menopause, and glomerulonephritis requires further investigation.