Angioedema
Separating mast cell from bradykinin angioedema, ACE inhibitor angioedema, hereditary and acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency, the C4 screen, and acute, short-term and long-term treatment of HAE with current PBS options.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Angioedema is swelling of the deep dermis, subcutaneous tissue or submucosa. It is less itchy than hives, often painful, and lasts longer (1 to 5 days).
- The first question is the mediator. Mast cell (histamine) angioedema comes with wheals or itch and responds to antihistamines, corticosteroids and adrenaline. Bradykinin angioedema comes without wheals and responds to none of them.
- In hospital, the commonest bradykinin cause is an ACE inhibitor. The commonest cause overall is CSU, where angioedema accompanies wheals: see the urticaria note.
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Sources
- ASCIA Position Paper on Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) and ASCIA HAE Management PlanAU/NZASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy), 2022 (updated November 2022)
- The international WAO/EAACI guideline for the management of hereditary angioedema. The 2021 revision and update (Maurer M et al. Allergy 2022;77(7):1961-1990)World Allergy Organization and EAACI, 2021 revision (published 2022)
- The 2025 WAO Guidelines for the classification, diagnosis, and treatment of hereditary angioedema, with consideration of worldwide disparities (Vázquez DO et al. World Allergy Organ J 2026;19(5):101335)World Allergy Organization, 2025 (published March 2026)
- International guideline on the diagnosis and management of pediatric patients with hereditary angioedema (Farkas H et al. Allergy 2026;81(8):2744-2774)Allergy (international steering committee, 14th C1-inhibitor Deficiency and Angioedema Workshop), 2026
- AusPMD: Ekterly (sebetralstat)AU/NZTherapeutic Goods Administration, ARTG November 2025; AusPAR April 2026
- A treat-to-target approach in hereditary angioedema. Expert consensus from a European committee (Front Immunol 2026;17:1773279)Frontiers in Immunology, 2026
- Hereditary angioedema types 1 or 2: garadacimab or lanadelumab authority application (PB325)AU/NZServices Australia (PBS), 2026
- PBS medicine status: donidalorsen for hereditary angioedemaAU/NZAustralian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Status at 1 November 2026
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Personal emails, About story and Australian-style copy