FAMILIAL COLD URTICARIA

Familial cold urticaria (FCU) is a rare autosomal dominant condition, first described in 1940.1 The onset is in early life in all reported cases. Symptoms are triggered by generalized exposure to cold air, particularly in damp and windy weather. The cutaneous lesions consist of erythematous macules or plaques, urticarial lesions and sometimes petechiae. Associated fever, chills, joint pains, nausea, stiffness and swelling of the hands and feet frequently occur. The symptoms are variable, ranging from mild to incapacitating. The pathogenesis of FCU remains unknown. To our knowledge only 10 pedigrees have been published, seven from the USA and one each from Holland, France and South Africa.2-12 We wish to report another extensive pedigree after having had the opportunity to investigate one member of the family in detail. A short form of this pedigree has been published elsewhere.13