Study of a Rare Case of Hereditary Angioedema in Bangladesh

Abstract

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disease that is characterised by recurrent episodes of angioedema in absence of urticaria or pruritus. It usually affects skin and the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tracts. It is usually a self-limited disease and resolves without treatment in a few days, although fatal asphyxiation may occur due to laryngeal involvement. The rarity, severity of the presentation and the need for appropriate treatment made a special interest to the clinicians for the disease. Early diagnosis can enable the attending physicians to administer an appropriate treatment to rescue the life of the patient. Our case is a 21-year medical student presented with several occasions of attack of angioedema involving lips, eyelids, and face since her 12 years of age. Lack of appropriate diagnostic facilities made the diagnosis of her disease delayed.