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Review
. 2019 Jun 21:10:1303.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01303. eCollection 2019.

Pruritus in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Dermatoses

Claudia Zeidler  1 , Manuel Pedro Pereira  1 , Flavien Huet  2   3 , Laurent Misery  2   3 , Kerstin Steinbrink  1 , Sonja Ständer  1
Affiliations
Review

Pruritus in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Dermatoses

Claudia Zeidler et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Pruritus in autoimmune and inflammatory dermatoses is a common symptom that can be severe and affect the quality of life of patients. In some diseases, pruritus is related to disorders activity and severity or may occur independent of the disease. Despite the high prevalence, the symptom is still underrated and there are only a few trials investigating the efficacy of drugs for disease-specific pruritus. In this review, the characteristics and possible pathomechanisms of pruritus in various dermatoses like autoimmune bullous diseases, connective tissue diseases as well as autoimmune-associated dermatoses (atopic dermatitis, psoriasis vulgaris) is illustrated. Additionally, studies analyzing the antipruritic treatment are discussed. Summarizing, the prevalence of pruritus in these diseases demonstrates the importance for symptom recognition and the need for an efficient antipruritic therapy.

Keywords: IL31; atopic dermatitis; bullous pemphigoid; itch; pruritus; psoriasis; substance P.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Seventy-eight-year old female patient with BP. Excoriations, bleeding and crusts caused by scratching can be observed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Stepwise therapeutic approach based on European S2k Guideline on Chronic Pruritus if causative treatment failed (79).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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