Why is urticaria part of the program for November’s Masterclasses in Psoriatic Disease Plus for Advanced Practice Providers+ in Dallas? Perhaps a better question to ask of anyone wondering about this subject is: Why wouldn’t urticaria be on the agenda?
The philosophy underpinning all of our professional Masterclasses meetings is that treating the whole patient means acknowledging, understanding, and collaborating in a space defined by the necessary complexities of interdisciplinary-based care. In other words, a sign or symptom of a particular condition or disease should not be interpreted and addressed in isolation. The skin is connected to and impacts every other system in the body—and vice-versa. By recognizing how dermatologists, allergists, and even emergency room physicians and nurses can cooperate, learn from each other, and coordinate care, we are all able to better treat each and every patient who comes to us with red welts or an uncomfortable rash.
Who Is Speaking on Urticaria?
Among deep dives into lupus, psoriatic arthritis, and more, David Rosmarin, MD, will be speaking on “Itch in 2024: Urticaria, Prurigo Nodularis and Beyond” at November’s Masterclasses in Psoriatic Disease Plus for Advanced Practice Providers+ in Dallas.
Dr. Rosmarin is chair of the Indiana University Department of Dermatology. His extensive work as a clinical investigator—including serving as principal investigator for successful multicentered trials evaluating topical ruxolitinib for repigmenting vitiligo, as well as his pioneering use of dupilumab for bullous pemphigoid—has positioned him as a referral resource for physicians dealing with challenging inflammatory diseases, including atopic dermatitis.
Further ahead on the calendar, Dr. Brian Kim is a proposed speaker on “Updates in Urticaria” at the February 2025 Masterclasses in Dermatology meeting in Sarasota, Florida.
Why Would Urticaria “Belong” to Dermatologists?
While hives and reactant rashes driven by mast cells popularly fall under the umbrella of allergists, the fact remains that urticaria “shows up” in the skin. Consider, of course, that the signs of urticaria are often similar to the signs of psoriasis, which makes an accurate diagnosis a must when it comes to determining a course of treatment.
Wheals, pruritis, and facial angioedema that flare spontaneously or in response to certain triggers (temperature, exertion, mental or emotional stress, infection)—especially for weeks or months—require a skin-focused care component at minimum. A dermatological approach will never be exercised to the exclusion of other disciplines, but both acute and chronic signs of urticaria must be tackled by physicians with skin-specific specific education, training, and experience.
That said, any dermatologist (and any dermatologist’s patient) would benefit immeasurably from professional experience that includes interdisciplinary education and a holistic understanding of treatment. Physicians and other medical professionals treating the urticaria patient should not be silos operating independently from segmented and thereby limited views of the whole person, but instead should be working within a medical mindset and framework that embraces the interconnectedness of the body, its reactions, its conditions, and its treatments.
What’s Next in Urticaria?
Dermatologists should be very excited by the urticaria treatments on the horizon, especially if prior experience managing wheals and angioedema has involved multiplying second-generation H1-antihistamine dosages prior to administering omalizumab and cyclosporine to little effect.
As highlighted in a July 2024 edition of The Lancet, promising potential treatments for chronic urticaria include Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors, anti-cytokine therapies (remember dupilumab, the human monoclonal antibody Dr. Rosmarin has seen success in treating the uticarial lesions of bullous pemphigoid), and mast cell depletion. These treatments may allow for disease modification, which can be a game changer for anyone struggling with the signs and symptoms of hives that simply will not go away.
For more information about booking a stay in Dallas for November’s meeting, click here. You can also check the rest of the Masterclasses in Dermatology site to learn details about our upcoming meetings.
