Clinical efficacy of reserpine as 'add-on therapy' to antihistamines in patients with recalcitrant chronic idiopathic urticaria and urticarial vasculitis.

摘要

Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is a disabling affliction that considerably limits patients' daily activities and interferes with sleep. CIU and urticarial vasculitis (UV) is a disease spectrum,1 and CIU might be associated with UV.2 CIU is treated with antihistamines as a conventional therapy. Patients with urticaria refractory to antihistamines might be treated with cortico-steroid and cyclosporine.3 UV is usually treated with oral corticosteroids, colchicine or dapsone in combination with antihistamines. Recently, we reported the efficacy of reserpine for UV as well as CIU.2'4 Many years ago, reserpine had been used for urticaria pig-mentosa5 or chronic urticaria.6 However, reserpine has not been listed in the therapeutic guidelines of urticaria.7 There has been no strong evidence about reserpine therapy for CIU and UV.