2 UCARE Centres in Lisbon for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: Where to Get Specialist Care

Living with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) can mean dealing with hives, itching, swelling, and flare-ups that are difficult to predict. When symptoms remain difficult to control, you may start wondering whether it is time to speak with someone who specializes in urticaria.

Lisbon currently has two centers listed by the international UCARE network: Hospital de Santa Maria and Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central (CHULC).[1]

Both have specialist Immunoallergology services and international UCARE certification. This guide explains what UCARE means, what we know about the two Lisbon centers, and how you can prepare if you are looking for specialist CSU care.


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What is chronic spontaneous urticaria?

Chronic spontaneous urticaria is a form of chronic urticaria in which wheals, angioedema, or both repeatedly occur without a specific external trigger explaining each episode.

“Chronic” generally means symptoms continue or repeatedly return for more than six weeks.

The condition can look different from person to person. Some people mainly experience itchy wheals or hives. Others experience angioedema, which causes deeper swelling. Some experience both.

CSU can also affect life beyond the skin. Itching and unpredictable symptoms may interfere with sleep, work, social activities, and emotional well-being.[4]

If you are still getting familiar with the condition, mama health's chronic spontaneous urticaria guide provides more information about CSU and living with the condition.

What is a UCARE center?

A UCARE center is a specialist urticaria center recognized by the Global Allergy and Asthma Excellence Network (GA²LEN).[1]

UCARE stands for Urticaria Center of Reference and Excellence.

Centers are evaluated against defined criteria relating to areas such as infrastructure, adherence to international recommendations, research, education, and communication.[2,3]

Being UCARE-certified therefore indicates that a center has specific expertise and infrastructure relating to urticaria.

It does not mean that everyone with CSU needs to attend a UCARE center. Dermatologists, allergists, immunologists, and other healthcare professionals outside the UCARE network may also have experience caring for people with chronic urticaria.

Which UCARE centers are in Lisbon?

The international UCARE directory currently lists two centers in Lisbon: Hospital de Santa Maria and Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central.[1]

Both are based within Immunoallergology services.

1. Hospital de Santa Maria

Department: Immunoallergology
Location: Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, Lisbon
UCARE head: Dr. Célia Costa
UCARE-certified since: 2018[1]

Hospital de Santa Maria has a dedicated Chronic Urticaria Unit within its Immunoallergology service.[2]

The unit was created in 2005 and became an internationally recognized UCARE center in 2018. The hospital states that the center provides specialized multidisciplinary care for people of all ages with chronic urticaria. It is also involved in medical education and urticaria research.[2]

The hospital's Immunoallergology service specifically identifies severe chronic urticaria as one of its specialist areas.[5]

The center is currently coordinated by Dr. Célia Costa.[1,2]

For people considering the center, it is worth checking current referral procedures and appointment availability directly with the hospital or through their existing healthcare team.

2. Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central

Department: Immunoallergology
Location: Rua Jacinta Marto, Lisbon
UCARE head: Dr. Paula Leiria Pinto
UCARE deputy: Dr. Sara Prates
UCARE-certified since: 2022[1]

The second UCARE center currently listed in Lisbon is the Immunoallergology service at Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central (CHULC).[1]

The UCARE network lists the center as certified since 2022, with Dr. Paula Leiria Pinto as UCARE head and Dr. Sara Prates as deputy.[1]

Because Portuguese hospital structures and service names can change, check the current hospital information and referral route before planning a visit.

Which Lisbon UCARE center should you choose?

There is no evidence-based reason to rank one of Lisbon's UCARE centers above the other based simply on UCARE status.

Both are listed within the same international UCARE network.[1]

Which option is practical for you can depend on factors such as your existing healthcare team, referral pathway, appointment availability, location, previous assessments, and individual health circumstances.

You could discuss these factors with your current doctor rather than treating a list of specialist centers as a clinical recommendation.

When could you discuss specialist CSU care with your doctor?

Specialist input may be worth discussing when chronic urticaria remains difficult to control, substantially affects everyday life, or presents features that need further assessment.[4]

For example, someone may have persistent hives despite initial management, recurring angioedema, or symptoms that do not behave like typical urticaria.

International guidance recommends a structured approach to CSU rather than extensive testing for every person.[4] Medical history, symptom patterns, medications, possible inducible triggers, and other relevant health information can help healthcare professionals decide what further assessment is appropriate.

If antihistamines have not provided enough relief, you can also read mama health's guide to what can happen when antihistamines aren't enough for CSU.

What might you discuss during a specialist CSU appointment?

A specialist appointment may cover your symptoms, previous medications, possible triggers, angioedema, the impact of CSU on everyday life, and whether further assessment is appropriate.

Treatment for chronic urticaria generally follows a stepwise approach. Second-generation H1 antihistamines are a first-line pharmacological option in international guidance, with additional approaches available when symptoms remain uncontrolled.[4]

Some people with CSU may eventually discuss biologic therapy with their specialist. Omalizumab is one established option. mama health's guide to starting a biologic for CSU explains common questions people may have when biologic treatment comes up in a healthcare conversation.

Treatment decisions depend on the individual and belong between the patient and their healthcare professional.

What should you prepare before visiting a CSU specialist?

A simple record of your CSU history can make it easier to explain what has been happening.

You could bring:

• Photos of hives or swelling
• An approximate date when symptoms began
• Notes about how frequently symptoms occur
• Information about how long individual wheals remain
• A list of medications you currently take
• A list of CSU medications you have previously tried
• Relevant blood test results and medical reports
• Information about previous allergy or dermatology assessments
• Notes about how CSU affects sleep, work, exercise, or everyday activities
• Questions you want to remember during the appointment

Photos can be particularly useful when your skin looks different on the day of the appointment from how it looks during a flare.

You do not need to work out the cause yourself. The purpose of preparing information is simply to make your experience easier to explain.

How can mama health help when you are looking for specialist CSU care?

mama health can help you organize and understand the information surrounding your CSU care before, after, and between appointments.

Finding a UCARE center is only one part of seeking specialist care. You may also have previous test results, prescriptions, medical letters, photos, questions, and experiences from months or years of living with CSU.

With mama health, you can:

• Ask questions about CSU. Get clear educational information grounded in trusted medical sources and shaped by the experiences of people living with chronic conditions.
• Understand your labs and reports. Medical results, prescriptions, and specialist letters can contain unfamiliar terminology. mama health can explain medical language in simpler terms so you can better understand what you may want to discuss with your healthcare professional.
• Upload and organize medical documents. Keep relevant health documents together so information is easier to find when preparing for an appointment.
• Prepare for a specialist appointment. Bring together questions, symptoms, results, medications, and information you choose to record into a structured summary for your healthcare conversation.
• Find specialists and care near you. Explore doctors and clinics near you and learn about their areas of focus when looking at available care options.
• Learn from others living with the same condition. Explore questions and experiences from other people living with chronic conditions, including topics they found useful to raise with their healthcare teams. Individual experiences vary and do not replace medical advice.

For someone preparing for a first UCARE appointment, this could mean having your previous treatments, laboratory reports, photos of your hives, medication history, and the questions you most want answered organized in one place.

mama health brings medical information and real patient experience together, while keeping medical decisions where they belong: between you and your healthcare team.

You can explore mama health's CSU support and resources to learn more.

Can mama health interpret your CSU lab results?

mama health can provide educational explanations of laboratory terminology and reports, but it does not diagnose CSU or determine what a result means clinically for you.

This distinction matters.

If a report contains unfamiliar terminology, mama health can make that language easier to understand and help you identify questions you may want to discuss at your next appointment.

Your healthcare professional remains responsible for interpreting results in your individual medical context and making clinical decisions.

Can other people's CSU experiences help you prepare?

Other people's experiences can help you discover questions and everyday topics you may not have thought about, but they cannot tell you what will happen in your individual case.

CSU varies considerably between people.

Someone else may have wondered about the same medication, struggled to describe their itching, experienced angioedema, or felt uncertain about whether stress or food was affecting their symptoms.

Those experiences can provide context and help you feel less alone. They should not be treated as evidence that the same explanation or approach applies to you.

If triggers are one of your main questions, mama health's guide to food, stress, heat, and other possible CSU triggers looks more closely at why patterns can be difficult to identify.

Sometimes you need the medical science.

Sometimes it helps to know that somebody else has asked the same question.

mama health brings both perspectives together.

What should you remember about finding CSU specialist care in Lisbon?

Lisbon currently has two centers listed in the international UCARE network: Hospital de Santa Maria and Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central.[1]

Both are specialist Immunoallergology services with recognized expertise in urticaria. Neither needs to be treated as the “best” center simply because it appears on this list.

If you are considering specialist care, confirm current referral requirements and availability before making plans.

And remember that finding the specialist is only part of the process. Understanding your previous results, gathering documents, remembering what you want to ask, and explaining what living with CSU has actually been like can matter too.

That is the space mama health is designed to support.