CHRONIC URTICARIA AND HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION: A DECADE OF FINDINGS

Chronic urticaria (CU) is increasingly affecting people worldwide, significantly reducing their quality of life. In many cases, the pathogenesis of this condition remains unknown (idiopathic), making its diagnosis and treat­ment an important public health issue. Recent studies have drawn attention to a possible relation between CU and H. pylori infection. This article reviewed data from studies, which analysed prevalence of H. pylori among patients with CU in some parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The findings revealed that the pre­valence of H. pylori infection among CU patients ran­ged from 27% to 100%. Results varied across analyzed studies, influenced by geographical differences and the variety of diagnostic methods used for H. pylori identifi­cation. Moreover, some studies suggested that H. pylori eradication resulted in remission of CU in 72.7 – 80% of cases. These results highlight the importance of H. pylori infection diagnosis and eradication in CU mana­gement. However, only a limited number of studies have been conducted in Europe.