Which internal chronic diseases may cause urticaria?

• A. Anemia
• B. Thyroid disease, cancer, and lupus
• C. Diabetes mellitus
• D. Hypertension

Answer: (B)

Urticaria arises when mast cells in the skin release histamine, creating the welted, itchy lesions. In some cases, ongoing systemic diseases—especially those involving immune dysfunction or cancer—can drive this process. Autoimmune thyroid disease and systemic lupus erythematosus are known to be associated with chronic urticaria because autoantibodies and inflammatory mediators can trigger mast cell activation or maintain a state of heightened immune reactivity. Cancer can be linked too, sometimes as a paraneoplastic phenomenon or through chronic inflammation that sustains histamine release. That’s why thyroid disease, cancer, and lupus are plausible internal chronic conditions that may cause urticaria.

By contrast, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and anemia are not typically direct drivers of chronic urticaria, so they’re not considered common etiologies for this symptom.