Epidemiology and Management of Acquired Angioedema Due to C1 Inhibitor Deficiency

Abstract

AAE-C1-INH (acquired angioedema owing to C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency) is a dangerous illness that can lead to asphyxiation due to laryngeal edoema. Only around 1% to 2% of angioedema cases are classified as HAE or AAE, with HAE being 10 times more prevalent than AAE. The sole clinical distinction between HAE and AAE is the age at which symptoms appea, AAE-C1-INH is usually diagnosed after 40 years of age. There is no licensed therapy for AAE-C1-INH at this time. AAE-C1-INH attacks are treated with HAE-C1-INH medicines such plasma-derived C1-INH concentrate (pdC1-INH) and the bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, icatibant. These on-demand medications are thought to be most helpful when provided early in the attack. However, there is a scarcity of published data on the efficacy and safety of AAE-C1-INH therapies.