Mast cell activation syndrome
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is a term referring to one of two types of mast cell activation disorder (MCAD); the other type is idiopathic MCAD.[1] MCAS is an immunological condition in which mast cells inappropriately and excessively release chemical mediators, resulting in a range of chronic symptoms, sometimes including anaphylaxis or near-anaphylaxis attacks.[2][3][4] Primary symptoms include cardiovascular, dermatological, gastrointestinal, neurological and respiratory problems.[3]
MCAS is an umbrella term that describes a set of symptoms; it is not a specific diagnosis.[1][5] Multiple diagnostic schemes for MCAS have been proposed. MCAS has often been misdiagnosed, especially as medical professionals and patients don’t understand that symptoms can wax or wane, and it can be a seemingly slow buildup with symptoms occurring in multiple organ systems before anaphylaxis type episodes; most doctors are not trained to recognize its symptoms nor know much about what to do with it; after all, it was only in 2010 that diagnostic criteria was formalized. [6]