TY - JOUR
T1 - Pruritus characteristics in a large Italian cohort of psoriatic patients
AU - Mirulla, Agostino Igor
AU - Anastasio, Francesca
AU - Bongiorno, Maria Rita
AU - Baglieri, Francesco
AU - Giannetti, Aurora
AU - Guarneri, Bina Claudia
AU - Di Dio, Cinzia
AU - Di Vito, Concetta
AU - Condello, Gaia Elena Maria
AU - Cannata, Giuseppe
AU - Monfrecola, Giuseppe
AU - Di Mattei, Ida
AU - Prezzemolo, Livia Maria Caterina
AU - Zappala', Loredana
AU - De Angelis, Lucilla
AU - Lo Forte, Maria Rita
AU - Angileri, Rosa Giuseppa
AU - Murgia, Selene
AU - La Greca, Sigfrido Giuseppe
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Background: Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with pruritus in 64–98% of patients. However, few modestly sized studies assess factors associated with psoriatic pruritus. Objective: To investigate factors associated with Ps pruritus intensity. Methods: Psoriasis patients 18 years or older seen in one of 155 centres in Italy between September 2005 and 2009 were identified from the Italian PsoCare registry. Patients without cutaneous psoriasis and those with missed information on pruritus were excluded. Results: We identified 10 802 patients, with a mean age 48.8 ± 14.3 years. Mild itch was present in 33.2% of patients, moderate in 34.4%, severe in 18.7% and very severe in 13.7%. Higher itch intensity was associated with female gender, lower educational attainment compared to university degree, pustular psoriasis, psoriasis on the head, face, palmoplantar areas, folds and genitalia, more severe disease, disease duration <15 years, and no or few prior systemic treatments. Limitations: Effects of specific medication on itch were not assessed. Conclusions: Pruritus should be evaluated during psoriasis visits, and physicians should be aware of patients at higher risk for itch. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of medications on itch, and establish therapy for psoriasis patients with persistent itch.
AB - Background: Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with pruritus in 64–98% of patients. However, few modestly sized studies assess factors associated with psoriatic pruritus. Objective: To investigate factors associated with Ps pruritus intensity. Methods: Psoriasis patients 18 years or older seen in one of 155 centres in Italy between September 2005 and 2009 were identified from the Italian PsoCare registry. Patients without cutaneous psoriasis and those with missed information on pruritus were excluded. Results: We identified 10 802 patients, with a mean age 48.8 ± 14.3 years. Mild itch was present in 33.2% of patients, moderate in 34.4%, severe in 18.7% and very severe in 13.7%. Higher itch intensity was associated with female gender, lower educational attainment compared to university degree, pustular psoriasis, psoriasis on the head, face, palmoplantar areas, folds and genitalia, more severe disease, disease duration <15 years, and no or few prior systemic treatments. Limitations: Effects of specific medication on itch were not assessed. Conclusions: Pruritus should be evaluated during psoriasis visits, and physicians should be aware of patients at higher risk for itch. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of medications on itch, and establish therapy for psoriasis patients with persistent itch.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10447/362317
M3 - Article
VL - 33
SP - 1316
EP - 1324
JO - Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
JF - Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
SN - 0926-9959
ER -