Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria in Finland - A Nationwide Registry Study on Epidemiology and Treatment Patterns in Secondary Care.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a burdensome skin disease characterized by recurrent wheals and/or angioedema without identifiable external triggers, with symptoms lasting for six weeks or longer, and impairs patients' quality of life and work productivity. This nationwide registry-based study examined epidemiology of CSU in Finland and its treatment patterns. Using secondary care data from 2001 to 2023, we identified 8,784 adult patients with CSU; 70% were female and the mean age was 45.3 years. Point prevalence of CSU was 0.21% in 2022 and an age-standardized incidence 9.34 per 100,000 person-years. A total of 85.8% of patients received antihistamines and 36.1% of all patients required concurrent corticosteroids, suggesting suboptimal disease control. Only 8.5% of patients received omalizumab, and the median time from antihistamine initiation to omalizumab was 9 Comorbidities such as asthma, hypertension, and depression were common. The low recorded of angioedema (5.9%) likely reflects limitations in registry coding. Overall, these findings highlight gaps in CSU management, including delayed initiation of omalizumab and a high proportion of systemic corticosteroid use. These patterns may partly reflect omalizumab reimbursement restrictions and delays in patient pathways, and suggest opportunities to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes.

Abstract from PubMed