• T Hubiche, F Boralevi, P Jouvencel, A Taïeb, and C Leaute-Labreze.
• Unité de Dermatologie pédiatrique, Hôpital Pellegrin-Enfants, Place Amélie Raba-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex.
• Ann Dermatol Vener. 2005 Mar 1; 132 (3): 249-51.

IntroductionHereditary angioedema is characterized by episodes of subcutaneous, digestive or laryngeal edema. In some cases, non-pruritic reticular erythema may precede the episodes of edema.ObservationEvery 4 to 6 weeks since infancy, a girl presented non-pruritic widespread reticular erythema, sparing the face. Two or three times every year, abdominal pain or edema of the lower limb joints followed the skin eruption. At 12 years of age, she was hospitalized because of an edema of the face associated with the eruption. Exploration of the complement confirmed the diagnosis of type I hereditary angioedema.DiscussionThe mean delay before diagnosis of hereditary angioedema is of 7 years. Reticular erythema in hereditary angioedema is frequent (40p. 100 of cases) and it usually occurs early in childhood, even in the absence of any episode of angioedema. When present, these eruptions usually precede an episode of angioedema. Recognition of this eruption as a symptom of hereditary angioedema would shorten the delay before diagnosis and anticipate appropriate management of the episodes.

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