To evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and characteristics of omalizumab in Chinese children under 12 years with chronic urticaria, addressing the limited existing data for this age group.
Key Findings:
All 13 patients showed rapid clinical improvement within one week after the initial omalizumab dose.
Oral antihistamines were successfully discontinued in all patients within four weeks.
Median UAS7 score decreased significantly from 20.0 at baseline to 4.0 (p = 0.001).
No adverse events were reported, and nearly half of the cohort had comorbid allergic conditions, with a median age of 5.8 years and 46.2% male.
Interpretation:
Omalizumab demonstrated rapid symptom control and an excellent safety profile, supporting its use as an effective treatment for chronic urticaria in children under 12, particularly in light of limited alternatives.
Limitations:
Small sample size of only 13 patients, which may limit the generalizability of findings.
Retrospective design may limit the generalizability of findings.
Conclusion:
Omalizumab is a well-tolerated and effective therapeutic option for children under 12 with chronic urticaria, highlighting the need for further studies to confirm these findings.
