Ann Dermatol Vener
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Urticaria is a classic cutaneous manifestation of drug allergy considered like the second most frequent drug eruption after maculopapular exanthemas. Most of the time drugs are responsible of acute urticaria lasting less than 24 hours. The mechanisms of these acute urticarial reactions are multiple, mostly related to an IgE-induced reaction. ⋯ However drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetysalicylic acid can, by a pharmacologic mechanism, exacerbate or trigger chronic urticaria. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, by a defect of degradation of bradykinin, may also induced angioedemas. In this context, if an allergologic investigation is useful in the exploration of acute urticaria, it seems useless for chronic urticaria.