‘Not All Swellings Are Angioedema’ – An Overview And Systematic Approach For Acute Medical Physicians

‘Not All Swellings Are Angioedema’ – An Overview And Systematic Approach For Acute Medical Physicians

Angioedema refers to a localised area of swelling affecting the subcutaneous and submucosal tissues due to release of vasoactive peptides, such as histamine or bradykinin. Despite being a relatively common presentation in the emergency room, the diagnosis can present a challenge to many healthcare professionals. Several conditions presenting with muco-cutaneous swellings may be misdiagnosed as angioedema. This article aims to provide an overview of the typical hallmarks of angioedema alongside its aetiology. We provide an overview of angioedema mimics that might potentially lead to misdiagnosis and highlight key features that help distinguish these conditions from angioedema. This is further illustrated with two interesting cases erroneously labelled as angioedema.

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‘Not All Swellings Are Angioedema’ – An Overview And Systematic Approach For Acute Medical Physicians

28th April 2026
PMID: 42127350
Authors Affiliations
Kavitha Sooriyakumar Department of Allergy and Immunology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
Sahar Ahmed Department of Acute Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
Leman Mutlu Department of Allergy and Immunology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
Osama MohamedAhmed Accident and Emergency Department, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
Anjali Ekbote Department of Allergy and Immunology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
Mamidipudi Thirumala Krishna Department of Allergy and Immunology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy and Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Omar E Mohamed Department of Allergy and Immunology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK

‘Not All Swellings Are Angioedema’ – An Overview And Systematic Approach For Acute Medical Physicians

Cite this article as:

Sooriyakumar K, Ahmed S, Mutlu L, MohamedAhmed O, Ekbote A, Krishna MT, Mohamed OE. 'Not All Swellings Are Angioedema' - An Overview And Systematic Approach For Acute Medical Physicians. Acute Med. 2025;24(3):118-124. doi: 10.52964/AMJA.1016. PMID: 42127350.

‘Not All Swellings Are Angioedema’ – An Overview And Systematic Approach For Acute Medical Physicians

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