Angioedema (BE: angiooedema), also known by its eponym Quincke's edema, is the rapid swelling (edema) of the skin, mucosa and submucosal tissues. Apart from the common form, mediated by allergy, it has been reported as a side effect of some medications, specifically ACE inhibitors. Additionally, there is an autosomal dominant inherited form, due to mutations in the SERPING1 gene, which results in deficiency of the blood protein C1-inhibitor. This form is called hereditary angioedema (HAE) or occasionally by the outdated term "hereditary angioneurotic edema" (HANE). In this condition, the swelling may also occur in the digestive tract and other organs.
Cases where angioedema progresses rapidly should be treated as a medical emergency as airway obstruction and suffocation can occur. Rapid treatment with epinephrine can be life-saving.
In the past, angioedema was referred to by the term angioneurotic edema, which wrongly implied that the phenomenon was due to neurosis.