Hereditary angioedema in a Chinese family

D Choy, A Ho, JKW Chan, CKW Lai, E Li, R Leung
Department of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

Hereditary angioedema is characterised by recurrent episodes of peri-orbital and peri-oral swelling which can cause an upper airway obstruction, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and even hypotensive collapse. This potentially fatal condition is frequently misdiagnosed; its early recognition and appropriate treatment are thus important. We report a familial cluster of hereditary angioedema in a Chinese family and describe the clinical course of two patients.

Hong Kong Med J 1997;3:436-8

Key words: Angioneurotic edema; Complement 1 inactivators; Immunologic deficiency syndromes