Elke Weisshaar
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-0520

Chronic pruritus (> 6 weeks) can be caused by skin diseases and systemic diseases, including malignancies. It is a distressing symptom that requires a precise medical history, thorough physical examination, laboratory and radiological diagnostics. The interpretation of results may sometimes be difficult and may often reveal several patho¬logical findings. This case report demonstrates prostate cancer as a possible underlying disease in a patient with chronic pruritus. Therapy with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine significantly relieved pruritus, but was less effective when external therapy was discontinued. Most pruritus patients need conse¬cutive or combined aetiological and symptomatic (topical and systemic) therapy.