The International Guideline for the Definition, Classification, Diagnosis and Management of Urticaria

EAACI/GA2LEN/EuroGuiDerm · 2026 · Europe

Source and licence

Authors
Torsten Zuberbier, Zainab AbdulHameed Ansari, Amir H Abdul Latiff et al.
Title
The International Guideline for the Definition, Classification, Diagnosis and Management of Urticaria
Journal
Allergy, 2026
Licence
CC BY 4.0
Changes
Verbatim excerpts; formatting adapted

Full text retrieved 2026-10-27 from Europe PMC · PMC13466004

Licence statement of the original publication

This is an open access article under the terms of the http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This page reproduces excerpts of the original publication; the original is authoritative. It has not been reviewed by a physician, does not state a recommendation of Medelix and does not replace medical advice. The guideline may have been updated since.

Open the original publication →Full text on Europe PMC

Recommendations

Verbatim, with grade of recommendation or strength of consensus where given.

Methods

  • “We cannot make a recommendation with respect to…”Strength of recommendation: No recommendation with respect to an intervention

Abstract

This update and revision of the international guideline for urticaria was developed in accordance with the methods recommended by Cochrane and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group. It is an initiative of the Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network (GA2LEN) and its Urticaria and Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence (UCAREs and ACAREs), with the participation of 210 delegates from 107 national and international societies, from 59 countries. The consensus conference was held on December 6th, 2024. This guideline was acknowledged and accepted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Urticaria is a frequent, mast cell‐driven disease, defined by a rapid appearance of wheals, angioedema, or both. The lifetime prevalence of acute urticaria is estimated to be approximately 20%. Chronic urticaria, categorized as either chronic spontaneous urticaria or chronic inducible urticaria, is disabling, impairs quality of life, and affects performance at work and school, however, novel therapies are available. This updated version of the international guideline for urticaria covers the definition and classification of urticaria and outlines expert‐guided and evidence‐based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the different subtypes of urticaria.

Contents of the original publication

The section headings of the original.

  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Definition
  • Definition
  • Classification of Urticaria Based on Its Duration and the Relevance of Eliciting Factors
  • Pathophysiological Aspects
  • Burden of Disease
  • Diagnosis of Urticaria
  • Diagnostic Workup in Acute Urticaria
  • Diagnostic Workup in CSU
  • The Diagnostic Workup in CIndU
  • Diagnosis in Children
  • Management of Urticaria
  • Basic Considerations
  • Identification and Elimination of Underlying Causes and Avoidance of Eliciting Factors
  • Inducing Tolerance
  • Symptomatic Pharmacological Treatment
  • Treatment of Special Populations
  • Need for Further Research

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