Clinical Factors Associated with Disease Severity in Symptomatic Dermographism: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Patient Characteristics
3.2. Comparison of Clinical Characteristics by Disease Severity
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| SD | Symptomatic dermographism |
| OR | Odds ratio |
| CI | Confidence interval |
| IQR | Interquartile range |
References
- Kulthanan, K.; Bernstein, J.A.; Rudenko, M.; Salameh, P.; Komoltri, C.; Adışen, E.; Al Abri, S.; Al-Ahmad, M.; Al-Ahmed, N.; Al Hinai, B.; et al. The prevalence of symptomatic dermographism: Results of the International UCARE PREVALENCE-D study. Allergy 2026, 81, 468–479. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bal, F.; Kahveci, M.; Soyer, O.; Sekerel, B.E.; Sahiner, U.M. Chronic inducible urticaria subtypes in children: Clinical features and prognosis. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. 2021, 32, 146–152. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McSweeney, S.M.; Christou, E.A.A.; Maurer, M.; Grattan, C.E.; Tziotzios, C.; McGrath, J.A. Physical urticaria: Clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnostic work-up, and management. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2023, 89, 324–337. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schoepke, N.; Mlynek, A.; Weller, K.; Church, M.K.; Maurer, M. Symptomatic dermographism: An inadequately described disease. J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol. 2015, 29, 708–712. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Magerl, M.; Altrichter, S.; Borzova, E.; Giménez-Arnau, A.; Grattan, C.E.H.; Lawlor, F.; Mathelier-Fusade, P.; Meshkova, R.Y.; Zuberbier, T.; Metz, M.; et al. The definition, diagnostic testing, and management of chronic inducible urticarias: The EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/UNEV consensus recommendations 2016 update and revision. Allergy 2016, 71, 780–802. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Taşkapan, O.; Harmanyeri, Y. Evaluation of patients with symptomatic dermographism. J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol. 2006, 20, 58–62. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Tupker, R.A.; Rustemeyer, T.; Frölich, M.; Babri, S.; Soliman, M.; de Haan, W.; Hillebrand, A. Functional brain alterations in symptomatic dermographism patients: An exploratory magnetoencephalography study. Exp. Dermatol. 2024, 33, e15023. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Erpolat, S.; Celik, H.T.; Bozkurt, B. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is increased in serum levels of patients with symptomatic dermographism. Postepy Dermatol. Alergol. 2017, 34, 346–349. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Liu, R.; Peng, C.; Jing, D.; Xiao, Y.; Zhu, W.; Zhao, S.; Zhang, J.; Li, J.; Chen, X. Identification of gut microbiota signatures in symptomatic dermographism. Exp. Dermatol. 2021, 30, 1794–1799. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Yücel, M.B.; Ertaş, R.; Türk, M.; Muñoz, M.; Atasoy, M.; Maurer, M. Food-dependent and food-exacerbated symptomatic dermographism: New variants of symptomatic dermographism. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2022, 149, 788–790. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ertaş, R.; Türk, M.; Yücel, M.B.; Muñoz, M.; Ertaş, Ş.K.; Atasoy, M.; Maurer, M. Eating increases and exercise decreases disease activity in patients with symptomatic dermographism. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. Pract. 2023, 11, 932–940. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ertaş, R.; Yücel, M.B.; Türk, M.; Ertaş, Ş.K.; Kocatürk, E.; Muñoz, M. Physical exercise improves symptomatic dermographism. Clin. Transl. Allergy 2025, 15, e70083. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zaitsu, M.; Narita, S.-I.; Lambert, K.C.; Grady, J.J.; Estes, D.M.; Curran, E.M.; Brooks, E.G.; Watson, C.S.; Goldblum, R.M.; Midoro-Horiuti, T. Estradiol activates mast cells via a non-genomic estrogen receptor-alpha and calcium influx. Mol. Immunol. 2007, 44, 1977–1985. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Trigunaite, A.; Dimo, J.; Jørgensen, T.N. Suppressive effects of androgens on the immune system. Cell. Immunol. 2015, 294, 87–94. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kocatürk, E.; Salameh, P.; Asero, R.; Bizjak, M.; Gimenez-Arnau, A.; Grattan, C.; Pesqué, D.; Planella-Fontanillas, N.; Herzog, L.S.; Buttgereit, T.; et al. Sex matters in CSU: Women face greater burden and poorer urticaria control, especially in midlife—CURE insights. J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol. 2026, 40, 67–78. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Breathnach, S.M.; Allen, R.; Ward, A.M.; Greaves, M.W. Symptomatic dermographism: Natural history, clinical features, laboratory investigations and response to therapy. Clin. Exp. Dermatol. 1983, 8, 463–476. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Czubalski, K.; Rudzki, E. Neuropsychic factors in physical urticaria. Dermatologica 1977, 154, 1–4. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Wallengren, J.; Isaksson, A. Urticarial dermographism: Clinical features and response to psychosocial stress. Acta Derm. Venereol. 2007, 87, 493–498. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zuberbier, T.; Maurer, M. Urticaria: Current opinions about etiology, diagnosis and therapy. Acta Derm. Venereol. 2007, 87, 196–205. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Johnston, T.G.; Cazort, A.G. Dermographia: Clinical observations. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1959, 169, 23–26. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Abajian, M.; Młynek, A.; Maurer, M. Physical urticaria. Curr. Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012, 12, 281–287. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Skrebova, N.; Nameda, Y.; Takiwaki, H.; Arase, S. Severe dermographism after topical therapy with diphenylcyclopropenone for alopecia universalis. Contact Dermat. 2000, 42, 212–215. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chen, Q.; Yang, X.; Ni, B.; Song, Z. Atopy in chronic urticaria: An important yet overlooked issue. Front. Immunol. 2024, 15, 1279976. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fleischer, M.; Grabbe, J. Physical urticaria. Hautarzt 2004, 55, 344–349. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cakmak, M.E.; Yegit, O.O.; Öztop, N. A case-control study comparing the general characteristics of patients with symptomatic dermographism and chronic spontaneous urticaria: Is atopy a risk factor for symptomatic dermographism? Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. 2024, 185, 247–252. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Liccioli, G.; Nappi, L.; Mori, F.; Barni, S.; Giovannini, M.; Sarti, L.; Novembre, E. Dermatographism and urticaria in a pediatric population. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. 2020, 31, 318–320. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Martorell, A.; Sanz, J. Round table: Urticaria with a physical cause. Allergol. Immunopathol. 1999, 27, 85–96. [Google Scholar]
- Chin, Y.Y.; Chang, T.C.C.; Chang, C.H. Idiopathic pure sudomotor failure and cholinergic urticaria in a patient after acute infectious mononucleosis infection. Clin. Exp. Dermatol. 2013, 38, 156–159. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- López, J.C.M.; Andreu, F.R.L.; Gascón, F.S.; Rodríguez, C.L.; Alvarez, J.M.N. Cold urticaria associated with acute serologic toxoplasmosis. Allergol. Immunopathol. 2005, 33, 172–174. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cowdrey, S.C. Acute urticaria as the presenting sign in infectious mononucleosis: Report of a case. J. Am. Coll. Health Assoc. 1969, 17, 371–372. [Google Scholar]
| Variables | Total (n = 174) | Female (n = 100) | Male (n = 74) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 33.0 (27.0–40.2) | 33 (27.0–42.0) | 34 (28.0–40.0) |
| Currently symptomatic, n (%) | 108 (62.1%) | 59 (59%) | 49 (66.2%) |
| Symptom–free at survey, n (%) | 66 (37.9%) | 41 (41%) | 25 (33.8%) |
| Disease duration (years), mean ± SD | 4.3 ± 5.2 | 4.4 ± 5.7 | 4.3 ± 4.4 |
| Disease duration in symptomatic patients (years), mean ± SD | 6.2 ± 5.4 | 6.7 ± 6.1 | 5.5 ± 4.3 |
| Disease duration in symptom-free patients (years), mean ± SD | 1.28 ± 2.83 | 0.98 ± 2.58 | 1.76 ± 3.18 |
| Angioedema, n (%) | 19 (10.9%) | 17 (17.0%) | 2 (2.7%) |
| Concomitant atopic/allergic disease *, n (%) | 66 (37.9%) | 33 (33.0%) | 33 (44.6%) |
| Other types of urticaria, n (%) | 17 (9.8%) | 15 (15.0%) | 2 (2.7%) |
| Triggering Factor | n, % |
|---|---|
| Any triggering factor reported | 107 (61.5) |
| Stressful life events | 84 (48.2) |
| Multiple stressful events | 10 (5.7) |
| Medications | 11 (6.3) |
| Infections | 4 (2.2) |
| Food-induced urticaria | 3 (1.7) |
| Bee sting | 2 (1.1) |
| Insect bite | 1 (0.5) |
| Severe sunburn | 1 (0.5) |
| Hair dye | 1 (0.5) |
| Variable | Severe/Total (Yes) | Severe/Total (No) | OR (95% CI) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atopy (yes) | 29/64 (45.3%) | 35/110 (31.8%) | 1.63 (0.87–3.07) | 0.12 * |
| Angioedema (yes) | 12/19 (63.2%) | 52/155 (33.5%) | 3.40 (1.26–9.14) | 0.01 * |
| Work–related stress/important exam (Yes) | 15/35 (42.9%) | 49/139 (35.3%) | 1.38 (0.65–2.93) | 0.40 * |
| Family history (Yes) | 16/38 (42.1%) | 48/136 (35.3%) | 1.33 (0.64–2.78) | 0.44 * |
| Symptom duration (months), median (IQR) | 5.0 (1.0–11.0) | 3.0 (0.8–24.0) | — | 0.47 ** |
| Sex (male) | 18/64 (28.1%) | 56/110 (50.9%) | 0.37 (0.19–0.73) | 0.003 * |
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 30.0 (26.3–38.8) | 34.5 (28.0–43.3) | — | 0.057 ** |
| Variables | OR (95% CI) | p |
|---|---|---|
| Atopy (yes) | 1.77 (0.89–3.53) | 0.10 |
| Angioedema (yes) | 2.20 (0.77–6.29) | 0.13 |
| Work stress (yes) | 1.35 (0.59–3.04) | 0.47 |
| Family history (yes) | 1.17 (0.52–2.64) | 0.69 |
| Male sex | 0.40 (0.20–0.82) | 0.01 |
| Age (year, continuous) | 0.98 (0.95–1.01) | 0.14 |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2026 by the authors. Published by MDPI on behalf of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
Share and Cite
Akın, Ö.; Taşkapan, M.O.; Cömert Erkılınç, A.; Tanrıöver, Ö. Clinical Factors Associated with Disease Severity in Symptomatic Dermographism: A Cross-Sectional Study. Medicina 2026, 62, 862. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62050862
Akın Ö, Taşkapan MO, Cömert Erkılınç A, Tanrıöver Ö. Clinical Factors Associated with Disease Severity in Symptomatic Dermographism: A Cross-Sectional Study. Medicina. 2026; 62(5):862. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62050862
Chicago/Turabian StyleAkın, Özlem, Mehmet Oktay Taşkapan, Asuman Cömert Erkılınç, and Özlem Tanrıöver. 2026. "Clinical Factors Associated with Disease Severity in Symptomatic Dermographism: A Cross-Sectional Study" Medicina 62, no. 5: 862. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62050862
APA StyleAkın, Ö., Taşkapan, M. O., Cömert Erkılınç, A., & Tanrıöver, Ö. (2026). Clinical Factors Associated with Disease Severity in Symptomatic Dermographism: A Cross-Sectional Study. Medicina, 62(5), 862. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62050862
