This book is a must for health care providers caring for patients with urticaria and angioedema. The editors, Greaves and Kaplan, achieve their objective of providing clinicians with “a clear guide to the diagnosis and management of this often perplexing group of diseases.” In addition, immunologists, cell biologists, and pharmacologists will find the chapters that attempt to unravel the complex biology underlying these diseases quite stimulating. The list of contributors includes several well-known experts in the field including Howard Maibach, Larry Millikan, and Nicholas Soter.

     A relatively brief introductory chapter sets the stage with definitions and classifications of urticaria and angioedema. The next four chapters dive into the basic science of the critically important cells and chemical mediators that trigger urticaria and angioedema. Zhao and Schwartz should be commended on a well-organized and very detailed chapter exploring mast cells, basophils, histamine receptors, and mediators. In contrast, Chapter 4 provides a complicated overview of the entire complement system with only casual mention of its importance to the understanding of angioedema. The graphics for this section are, in general, good.

     Chapter 6 begins the clinical section of the text providing a succinct overview of acute urticaria. Kim and Maibach decipher the intricacies of contact urticaria in what is probably the most definitive chapter ever written on the subject. Other chapters that would be especially useful to clinicians include: “Autoimmune chronic urticaria,” “Chronic urticaria,” “Principles of antihistamine management,” “Agents other than antihistaminics,” and “New thoughts regarding idiopathic angioedema.” Overall there are sixteen chapters, over 300 pages, devoted to the diagnosis and management of the urticarial variants and angioedema. The intricate classifications and evidence-based work up and treatments are concisely presented in numerous tables throughout the text. Some overlap of clinical topics should have been edited.

     Most of the 36 color plates are of good quality adding to the understanding of the concepts and are more useful than their black and white counterparts scattered throughout the text. Only one plate depicting eyelid angioedema should be discarded because of its poor quality.

     In summary, Urticaria and Angioedema is a comprehensive up to date text devoted to the subject. It should be easily accessible in the offices of dermatologists, allergists and other clinicians who treat urticaria and angioedema. The many tables outlining etiologic factors, evaluation, and treatment of these diseases will become useful references. This text is definitely worth occupying precious shelf space.

Ratings: (1-4, 4 being the highest)

Organization of information:    3.0  

Usefulness of book:     4.0

Suitable for intended audience:    3.0

Author’s objectives met:      3.0

Sufficient number of Figures/ illustrations:     2.0

Quality of Figures/ illustrations:    3.0

From the Publisher:

     Exploring current treatment options for skin conditions affecting more than 20% of the population, this reference examines every type of urticaria and angioedema, reviews the mechanisms common to all types of these disorders, and discusses the uses and limitations of existing and emerging treatment regimens for urticaria and angioedema, including alternative therapeutic approaches.

     Unlike any other reference on the topic, this guide presents the pearls and pitfalls in disease management and control--alerting physicians to common errors in disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

     Analyzing possible disease pathways and triggers, Urticaria and Angioedema satisfies the needs of both clinicians and scientists by providing solidly based clinical practices and identifying key research developments...offers a classification of the main types of urticaria and angioedema...presents new studies on the autoimmune mechanisms of chronic idiopathic urticaria...contains discussions on new-generation antihistamines and other treatment modalities....and examines models of heredity and the genetic bases of these diseases.

Table of Contents: 

Chapter 1.     What is Urticaria?  Anatomical, Physiological, and Histological Considerations and Classification

Chapter 2.     Mast Cells and Basophils

Chapter 3.     Mechanisms of Bradykinin Formation

Chapter 4.     The Complement System:  Mechanisms of Activation, Regulation, and Role in Innate and Adaptive Immunity

Chapter 5.     The IgE-Mediated Cutaneous Late-Phase Reaction

Chapter 6.     Acute Urticaria

Chapter 7.     Contact Urticaria

Chapter 8.     Physical and Cholinergic Urticarias

Chapter 9.     Urticaria and Angioedema in Infancy and Early Childhood

Chapter 10.    Papular Urticaria

Chapter 11.    Diagnosis of Difficult Urticaria and Angioedema

Chapter 12.    Hereditary Disorders with Urticaria or Angioedema

Chapter 13.    C1 Inhibitor Deficiency

Chapter 14.    Chronic Urticaria:  Autoimmune Chronic Urticaria and Idiopathic Chronic Urticaria

Chapter 15.    Chronic Urticaria:  General Principles and Management

Chapter 16.    Urticaria:  Principles of Antihistamine Treatment

Chapter 17.    Treatment of Chronic Urticaria:  Agents Other Than Antihistaminics

Chapter 18.    Urticarial Vasculitis/Venulitis

Chapter 19.    Angioedema:  Some "New" Thoughts Regarding Idiopathic Angioedema

Chapter 20.    Systemic Disorders with Urticaria and/or Angioedema

Chapter 21.    Idiopathic Anaphylaxis, Systemic Mastocytosis, and the Hypereosinophilic Syndrome