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. 2022 Dec 22;3(3):e202.
doi: 10.1002/ski2.202. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Pruritus and brain tumours: A prospective and descriptive study

Marie-Anne Fardel  1   2 , Emilie Brenaut  1   2 , Dewi Guellec  2   3 , Maxime Etienne  1   2 , Maxime Fouchard  1   2 , Romuald Seizeur  2   3 , Laurent Misery  1   2
Affiliations

Pruritus and brain tumours: A prospective and descriptive study

Marie-Anne Fardel et al. Skin Health Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Pruritus, especially localised to the nostrils, has been reported as a specific sign of brain tumours.

Objectives: The main goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pruritus in a group of patients with brain tumours. The second outcome was to better characterise this pruritus with a specific questionnaire and a skin examination.

Methods: From June 2020 to September 2021, all patients with a diagnosis of brain tumour were included in this prospective, monocentric study. If the patient suffered from pruritus, a dermatological examination was performed.

Results: Two hundred patients with brain tumours were included. Thirty-five of them suffered from pruritus (17.5%). Among them, 15 patients did not present with any skin disease, and 8 could have neuropathic pruritus according to the NP5 questionnaire. No patients presented with pruritus of the nostrils.

Discussion: This study did not show clear evidence of specifically localised pruritus induced by brain tumours.

Conclusion: Pruritus observed in patients with brain tumours seems not to be caused by the brain malignancies in most cases. The specific localization to the nostrils cannot be considered a specific marker.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non‐financial interests to disclose.

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