Publications

Diverse environmental stimuli, such as thermal and mechanical triggers or electromagnetic radiation, lead to clinical symptoms of physical urticarias, mostly localized whealing. These cutaneous wheal-and-flare reactions are caused by the activation of mast cells and their release of proinflammatory mediators. Usually, trigger factors can be easily identified by provocation tests, and subsequently avoided, at least partially. However, the underlying causes of physical urticarias are largely unknown. This article focuses on cold-contact urticaria as a paradigm of physical urticarias in terms of clinical manifestation, diagnostic procedures, and known pathomechanisms.