Adrenergic urticaria in a patient with anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies.

Adrenergic urticaria, a rare but distinct subtype of the physical urticarias, is characterized by wheals that are typically surrounded by a white halo of vasoconstriction, and by a positive response to intradermal adrenaline and noradrenaline injections. The pathogenesis of adrenergic urticaria is unknown. We report here a case of a 64-year-old woman with adrenergic urticaria who was found to have high levels of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies without features of systemic lupus erythematosus. This is the first report associating adrenergic urticaria with anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies. The significance of this association is unknown.