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Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a debilitating skin disease characterized by intensely itchy wheals, angioedema, or both. Symptoms recur spontaneously, on a near-daily basis, over >6 weeks; many patients experience flare-ups over several years and, consequently, reduced quality of life. Differences between the inflammatory profiles of the skin of CSU patients (wheals and nonlesional sites) and healthy controls indicate that key drivers such as mast cells, eosinophils, and basophils interact, release vasoactive mediators, and prime the skin, leaving patients predisposed to symptoms. Many cytokines and chemokines involved in these inflammatory networks and their corresponding intracellular signaling cascades have been identified. These insights informed the development of therapies such as omalizumab, dupilumab, and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, marking a renewed focus on pathogenesis in CSU clinical research. Despite progress, current therapies provide symptomatic control but do not appear to redress the inflammatory balance in the skin permanently. A deeper understanding of CSU pathogenesis will permit a more targeted approach to developing novel treatments with curative intent. Here, we review what is known about the pathogenesis of CSU and consider how this can be used to identify rational targets to improve patient care further.

BACKGROUND Hand eczema is a common inflammatory skin disorder. Health care providers need continuously updated information about the management of hand eczema to ensure best treatment for their patients. OBJECTIVES To update the European Society of Contact Dermatitis guideline on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment on of hand eczema. METHOD The Guideline Development Group (GDG) was established on behalf of the ESCD. A call for interest was launched via the ESCD website and via the ESCD members' mailing list. Appraisal of the evidence for therapeutic and preventive interventions was applied and a structured method of developing consensus was used and moderated by an external methodologist. The final guideline was approved by the ESCD executive committee and was in external review on the ESCD webpage for 1 month. RESULTS Consensus was achieved for several statements and management strategies. CONCLUSION The updated guideline should improve management of hand eczema.

Background: Hand eczema (HE) is a common skin disease characterized by itch, pain and visible skin changes such as fissures, erythema and vesicles. It is not yet clear which outcome domains are most important for patients. The Hand Eczema Core Outcome Set (HECOS) initiative is developing a consented set of core domains and suitable measurement instruments for the future application in all HE trials. This includes an online Delphi survey about core domains, which requires a ‘Long List’ of all domains that might be important to measure. Objectives: To compile a ‘Long List’ of candidate outcome domains for therapeutic HE trials with suggestions from patients and experts. Methods: First, 60 patients with chronic HE were interviewed at seven study sites in Croatia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Patients were asked about domains that were important from their perspectives. Second, 185 HE experts were invited by email to complete an online survey. With an open question, they were asked to suggest up to six domains. Results: Suggestions were provided by 58 patients and 82 experts. Most patients and experts suggested to measure the domains ‘signs’, ‘symptoms’ and ‘HE-related quality of life’. Specifically, >25% of patients said that less itch, pain or fissures indicated a successful treatment. Among experts, >25% suggested ‘itch’ and ‘ability to work’ as core sub-domains. Further outcomes from the domains ‘HE control over time’, ‘patient-reported treatment experience’ and ‘skin barrier function’ were mentioned. Conclusion: ‘Itch’ was rated high among patients with HE and professional HE experts. While patients emphasized fissures as important, experts underlined the ability to work. This investigation allowed us to define a ‘Long List’ of 7 candidate outcome domains with 58 sub-domains. From this list, a panel of stakeholders will select core domains during an online Delphi survey.

The European baseline series was last updated in 2019. This article discusses the reasoning behind a further iteration of the series for 2023.

Purpose of review: contact urticaria syndrome includes contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis. Underreport, underdiagnosis, or misdiagnosis of entities within the contact urticaria syndrome is believed to be common, especially in the occupational setting. This review provides a structured overview of the entities comprised in this syndrome as well as the diagnostic work-up and management strategies. Recent findings: contact urticaria syndrome has been increasingly described due to personal protective equipment and hand sanitizers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of legal cannabis products has led to a rise in occupational cases of contact urticaria to cannabis. A declining trend in the evolution of contact urticaria has been described for natural rubber latex allergy due to the use of synthetic gloves. Prick test has been proposed as a screening method, particularly if multiple products are to be tested, instead of the classical sequential scheme. Summary: physicians should be aware of the growing number of culprit agents leading to contact urticaria syndrome. Clinical presentation may be challenging since it includes immediate urticaria and/or eczema and even more generalized reactions. Diagnosis requires a high degree of suspicion, detailed occupational history, and complementary tests, including skin testing. The best treatment is to avoid contact with the culprit agent and to implement preventive measures.

In 2019, a number of allergens (haptens), henceforth, "the audit allergens," were considered as potential additions to the European Baseline Series (EBS), namely, sodium metabisulfite, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, Compositae mix II (2.5% or 5% pet), linalool hydroperoxides (lin-OOH), limonene hydroperoxides (lim-OOH), benzisothiazolinone (BIT), octylisothiazolinone (OIT), decyl glucoside, and lauryl glucoside; Evernia furfuracea (tree moss), was additionally tested by some departments as well.To collect further data on patch test reactivity and clinical relevance of the audit allergens in consecutive patients across Europe.Patch test data covering the audit allergens in 2019 and 2020 were collected by those departments of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies testing these, as well as further collaborators from the EBS working group of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD), and the Spanish Grupo Español de Investigación en Dermatitis de Contacto y Alergia Cutánea. As patch test outcome, reactions between day (D) 3 and D5 were considered.Altogether n = 12 403 patients were tested with any of the audit allergen. Positive reactions were most common to lin-OOH 1% pet. (8.74% [95%CI: 8.14-9.37%]), followed by lin-OOH 0.5% pet., and lim-OOH 0.3% pet (5.41% [95% CI: 4.95-5.89%]). Beyond these terpene hydroperoxides, BIT 0.1% pet. was the second most common allergen with 4.72% (95% CI: 4.2-5.28%), followed by sodium metabisulfite 1% pet. (3.75% [95%CI: 3.32-4.23%]) and Compositae mix 5% pet. (2.31% [95% CI: 1.84-2.87%]). For some allergens, clinical relevance was frequently difficult to ascertain.Despite many positive patch test reactions, it remains controversial whether lin- and lim-OOH should be tested routinely, while at least the two preservatives BIT and sodium metabisulfite appear suitable. The present results are a basis for further discussion and ultimately decision on their implementation into routine testing among the ESCD members.

Skin lesions caused by allergic contact dermatitis are an important occupational and environmental disease. Patch testing is the gold-standard procedure used to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis.

Contact dermatitis of the hands is by far the most frequent condition suffered by health-care workers. Among health-care workers, nurses suffer the highest prevalence of hand eczema. Atopy, wet work, and a previous history of hand eczema are well-known risk factors.