This prospective observational study enrolled 144 children (aged 1–18 years) with acute or chronic urticaria at a tertiary care center, evaluating symptomatic dermographism (SD) using the FricTest® 4.0 dermographometer at baseline and 6 weeks, and correlating findings with UAS7 and UCT scores.
SD was found in 24.3% of children and was equally prevalent in acute and chronic urticaria. Wheal diameter correlated with UAS7 (r = 0.33, p < 0.001). At 6-week follow-up, children with SD were less likely to achieve well-controlled disease, and SD at presentation was more common in those who progressed to chronic urticaria.
- Single tertiary care center limits generalizability. - No control group of healthy children for dermographometer reference values. - Six-week follow-up is short for a condition that can persist for years.
In children presenting with urticaria, consider routine dermographometer testing — nearly 1 in 4 will have symptomatic dermographism, which signals higher disease activity and worse short-term control. SD at first visit may also flag children at risk of progressing to chronic urticaria.
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