Angioedema Testing

Angioedema is a transient and self limiting process, involving the subcutaneous and submucosal tissues. Patients often present with localized skin swelling (urticaria). The swelling can also occur in other organs and systems, such as the upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tracts, etc. The swelling is due to increased vascular permeability (extravascular leakage) of fluid into the interstitial tissues of these areas.

Angioedema often has an acute onset, lasting hours to days, and in many circumenstances, they recur and become chronic. The symptoms are troublesome, sometimes disabling, and rarely can be life-threatening. Extravascular leakage is mediated by histamine or bradykinin. While histamine mediated angioedema is responsive to antihistamine or steroid therapy, bradykinin mediated angioedema is not= triggered by allergies, therefore these remedies are often ineffective.