Hereditary Angioedema in Pediatric Patients

PubMed, the Internet portal of biomedical and life sciences literature, indexed an interesting article, entitled “Management of Hereditary Angioedema in Pediatric Patients.” (Pediatrics. 2007 Aug 27). Authors are Farkas H, Varga L, Szeplaki G, et al., from the 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. hereditary angioneurotic edema (HAE) is a rare disorder caused by the congenital deficiency of C1 inhibitor. Recurring angioedematous paroxysms that most commonly involve the subcutis (eg, extremities, face, trunk, and genitals) or the submucosa (eg, intestines and larynx) are the hallmarks of hereditary angioneurotic edema. Manifestations occur during the initial 2 decades of life, but even today there is a long delay between the onset of initial symptoms and the diagnosis of hereditary angioneurotic edema. The authors review their experience and published data to provide an approach to hereditary angioneurotic edema in childhood. To access the full abstract of the article, click here.