抄録
Angioneurotic or Quincke's edema is a condition characterized by the sudden appearance of temporary edematous areas of the skin or mucous membranes and occasionally of the viscera. The origin may be allergic, neurotic or unknown. This disorder can be classified into two forms: hereditary (inherited Cl inhibitor deficiency) and non-hereditary (sporadic).
We report a case of angioneurotic (Quincke's) edema which appeared in the upper aerodigestive tract of a 76-year-old male. This patient was first seen at our emergency clinic with the complaint of dyspnea associated with a marked swelling of the lips, tongue and anterior neck. Since the patient did not respond well to various medical treatments including steroids, tracheostomy was then performed to alleviate his dyspneic condition after hospitalization. Examination did not reveal any evidence of deficiency or functional impairment of complement components nor a family history of this disorder. Therefore he was finally diagnosed as having a non-hereditary (sporadic) form of angioneurotic edema.
Approximately two months later the patient experienced another episode of edema necessitating tracheostomy again. Since then, however, the patients has remained symptom-free and no treatment has been instituted for more than three years.
