Mathias Lehmann, Simone Cazzaniga, Dagmar Simon, Delphine L. Perruchoud, Luca Borradori, Anna Rammlmair
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3405

Chronic pruritus profoundly affects patients’ quality of life. The objective of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to characterize patients with chronic pruritus and identify patterns, in order to delineate a better diagnostic approach. Both semantic connectivity map and classical analysis were applied, linking demographic, clinical, laboratory and histopathological data with clinical and aetiological categories of 170 patients with chronic pruritus (median age 72 years, 58.2% women). The semantic map showed clinical categories separated in different hubs associated with distinct patterns concerning sex, aetiology, laboratory findings, and pharmacological treatment. Diabetes, diagnosis of cancer and psychiatric comorbidities were linked with certain clinical categories. Skin eosinophilia was a common finding of chronic pruritus, on both diseased and non-diseased skin. High frequencies of patients with chronic pruritus taking anti-arrhythmics, beta-blockers and AT-II receptor antagonists were noticed among those with underlying systemic, neurological and psychiatric diseases. This study provides a complex analysis of chronic pruritus and thus basic principles for a clinical work-up.

This retrospective cross-sectional study is aimed at characterizing patients with chronic pruritus and identifying patterns and interactions of factors with pruritus. The semantic map analysis showed clinical categories separated in different hubs associated with distinct patterns concerning sex, aetiology, laboratory findings and pharmacological treatment. Diabetes, diagnosis of cancer and psychiatric comorbidities were linked with distinct clinical categories of itch. Skin eosinophilia was a common finding of chronic pruritus on both diseased and non-diseased skin. This study provides a complex analysis of the characteristics of patients with chronic pruritus, as well as basic principles for a practical clinical work-up and management.

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