ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the case study of a 51-year-old man is referred for an urgent opinion with an 8-week history of intermittent swellings affecting his hands, feet, face and genitalia. He also describes intermittent abdominal bloating and pain. With acute and severe abdominal pain associated with vomiting, he was admitted for 24 hours under the surgical team for investigation of an acute abdomen, before his symptoms spontaneously resolved. He has no family history of swellings or skin rashes. His skin is normal except for the presence of unilateral left-sided peri-orbital soft tissue swelling. The skin swellings are angioedema. Hereditary angioedema is autosomal dominantly inherited, and although there is a high incidence of de-novo mutations, it usually presents peri-puberty or following surgery/trauma, making it a less likely diagnosis in this case. The management of acquired angioedema includes the use of androgens and antifibrinolytics as prophylaxis.
