Quincke edema is a sign of an allergic reaction. It can be associated with an anaphylactic shock. It is an emergency.
Quincke edema is an emergency that requires immediate management because it prevents breathing.
Definition: What is a quincke edema?
Quincke, or angioedema edema is a rapid swelling of the skin and mucous membranes in the head and neck, linked to a reaction most often allergic or inflammatory.
What are the causes of a quincke edema?
“Quincke edema is in the vast majority the consequence of an allergic reaction to an ingested food or an inoculated substance” explains Dr. Madiha Ellaffi, pulmonologist and allergist. “It can therefore be a food allergy (peanuts, hull fruits, crustaceans …), a reaction to a medication or treatment (antibiotic, anti-inflammatory …) or even an insect bite (wasp, bee …).” Latex allergy is also more and more often incriminated.
What are the symptoms of a quincke edema?
It is generally located in the face, lips and eyelids. Its occurrence is brutal, extends from the skin to the throat and the larynx and can cause:
- a swallowing difficulty,
- Swelling in the face (eyes, mouth …)
- Swelling of the tongue
- Swelling of the throat up to the suffocation.
What difference between quincke edema and anaphylactic shock?
Quincke edema can be associated with anaphylactic shock but there can also be such a shock without quincke edema. These are two distinct things. Anaphylactic shock is the most violent allergic reaction, it can go so far as to engage the vital prognosis. It is an immediate and generalized reaction which is available in 4 stages of gravity. It goes from stadium I (giant hives) to stage IV (circulatory and/or respiratory judgment). “One of the first symptoms felt by patients is the palmo-plantaic pruritus which manifests itself in intense itching of the soles of the feet and the palm of the hands” describes Dr. Ellaffi. “Then comes a feeling of discomfort induced by a drop in tension. It is then necessary to react urgently.”
It begins with an allergological survey which makes it possible to determine the potential (s) allergens responsible for the crisis. Then, two types of tests are most often offered to confirm it: skin tests or prick-tests, practiced with purified extracts of allergens that are made in intradermo using a spear on the forearm. These prick-tests should then ideally be confirmed by a dosage of the IgE using a blood sample.
What to do in the event of a quincke edema?
Quincke edema is an emergency case, it is necessary to react as soon as the first symptoms appear. If this is a first crisis, you have to call 15 and follow the indications given by phone. If it is a recurrence, the doctor will have previously prescribed an auto-injectable adrenaline syringe to always have on oneself, this is the first gesture to perform. We can then take in the order of corticosteroids, ventoline then oral antihistamines.
Thanks to Dr. Madiha Ellaffi, pulmonologist and allergist.
