[Diagnosis of chronic urticaria. Critical analysis of test results based on catamnestic studies]

305 patients suffering from chronic urticaria were tested according to a special program, which combined the common allergologic skin testing with the searching for foci of inflammation. The central part of the diagnosis, however, are oral provocation tests during potato/rice diet with non-steroidal antiphlogistic agents and so-called food additives as well as "natural" salicylates. Acetylsalicylic acid and indomethacin most frequently caused reactions of intolerance, whereas all of the patients tolerated paracetamol (500 mg) without any reactions. With food additives and "natural" salicylates, intolerance reactions were rare. In our patients, skin testing only rarely led to any relevant results; the search for foci, instead, led to numerous findings, which, however, seemed not to have much influence on the further course of the disease. Apparently, the healing rate was neither influenced by the reactions of intolerance, nor the fact whether the patient had got a proper diet or not; we suggest, therefore, that the interpretation of the test results should be reconsidered.