Treatment of urticaria.

In conclusion, although the treatment of urticaria, especially chronic urticaria, is often unsatisfactory, considerable progress has been made in this area over the past few years. As we learn more about the pathogenic mechanisms and mediators involved in the production of urticarial lesions, we will be better able to develop more effective treatment modalities. Currently, several medications exist to block the effects of already released histamine on the target organ receptor sites on the cutaneous blood vessels, to prevent the release of histamine from the mast cells, and to interfere with the release or production of other potential mediators of urticaria. Various combinations of these different therapeutic approaches will probably prove most helpful in treating different clinical patterns of urticaria.