Localized heat urticaria.

H eat urticaria is a rare disease. Symptoms include swelling, redness, and itching all sharply confined to areas of heat contact. Localized heat urticaria differs from cholinergic urticaria in that the former is not caused by sweating or exertion; the condition is distinct from solar urticaria in that it is purely temperature dependent. 1 We report a case of localized heat urticaria and the related investigative studies. Report of a Case A 54-year-old woman complained of localized swelling and itching of six years' duration following local heat application on bathing or on immersing the hands in hot water. She observed similar reactions on her arms after sunlight exposure through window glass. She also noted swelling of the hands after tightly gripping objects. She had had hay fever since childhood, and hives had once developed after she had taken aspirin. No similar reactions to aspirin occurred. Otherwise, personal and family history