Caffeine as a cause of urticaria-angioedema

Abstract

We report the case of a young woman presenting with recurrent urticaria. The episodes occurred both in and out of the workplace. On three occasions it presented as urticaria-angioedema, requiring emergency care on one occassion. A thorough clinical history along with serological and allergological tests allowed a diagnosis of caffeine-induced urticaria-angioedema. We advised the patient to follow a caffeine-free diet and to avoid all caffeine or methylxanthine-containing drugs. After two years of caffeine abstinence, she had not experienced any further episodes of urticaria-angioedema. Only a few cases of caffeine-induced urticaria and/or anaphylaxis have been reported till date, with varying outcomes in allergologic investigations. Moreover, several cases are probably undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as idiopathic urticaria or as occupational allergy. We speculate that hypersensitivity to caffeine rather than autoimmine reaction may be the probable cause of urticaria. Caffeine should considered as a potential urticaria-inducing agent and should be included in the allergological test series.

More angioedema from instant coffee, but not from caffeine

“…is a valuable addition to the medical literature. [ 1 ] A similar case was reported by us in 2012. [ 2 ] In that earlier instance, a 50-year-old man presented with angioedema of unknown cause.…”

“…The detailed description of the serologic and allergologic tests that Tognetti et al . [ 1 ] performed for their patient would have been of use in the earlier case, had such testing been advised. Their description serves as an excellent reference for clinicians who seek to identify triggers for angioedema and urticaria.…”

Psychosis following caffeine consumption in a young adolescent: Review of case and literature

“…Other presenting features in our patient (abdominal pain, emesis, lethargy, circulatory collapse, tachycardia, hypertension, angioedema, DTS, hyperglycemia, ketonuria, hypokalemia, and metabolic acidosis) are well-documented in the literature as independent features of caffeinism. [ 14 15 16 ]…”

Tea-induced chronic urticaria: A case report and review of the literature

“…Tea-induced urticaria is well documented yet without a known prevalence. Caffeine was reported to induce urticaria in eight patients [5]. On the other hand, traces of chlorothalonil, a fungicide used in organic tea, was reported to induce several allergic reactions, including urticaria and angioedema.…”

“…In addition, the patient developed no urticaria after oral provocation tests with other types of tea. Therefore, the probability of certain flavorings being a potential trigger of urticaria was strongly considered in this case [4,5].…”