Factors Associated with Symptomatic Dermographism: Findings from the UCARE PREVALENCE-D Study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Allergology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Symptomatic dermographism (SD) is the most common subtype of chronic inducible urticaria.
• Limited data exists on factors associated with SD and direct comparisons between affected and unaffected individuals.
• This study aimed to identify international factors associated with SD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with symptomatic dermographism (SD) on an international scale.
• To compare the prevalence of associated factors in individuals with and without SD.
• To investigate the link between atopic conditions and SD.

Main Methods:

• An international cross-sectional survey, the PREVALENCE-D study, was conducted from 2021 to 2024 across 19 countries.
• An expert-designed questionnaire was used to diagnose SD and assess potential associated factors.
• SD was defined as self-reported chronic recurrent urticarial dermographism with itch.

Main Results:

• The study included 68,513 participants, with 3101 diagnosed with SD.
• Key factors associated with SD were atopic dermatitis (aOR 4.20) and allergic rhinitis (aOR 2.11).
• Having at least one atopic condition increased SD likelihood (aOR 2.70), with all three conditions significantly increasing it further (aOR 7.75). Other associations included female sex, older age, dyslipidemia, and thyroid disease.

Conclusions:

• Atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis are the strongest correlates of symptomatic dermographism (SD).
• The presence of all three atopic conditions (allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, asthma) significantly increases the likelihood of SD.
• Clinical assessment for allergic comorbidities is recommended for SD patients, with further research needed on the pathophysiological links.