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Pruritus is a frequent sensation in dermatoses, but its prevalence in patients in dermatological practices has not been fully studied. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to investigate its prevalence and characteristics in all patients attending a dermatology practice in Germany over a period of one week (n = 334; 52.7% female; median age 45.0 years). The point prevalence of pruritus in this study population was 36.2% (87.6% of whom had chronic pruritus). It inhibited the everyday life of 73.6% of all patients, with 77.7% reporting a frequently to permanently experienced moderate intensity. (5.2 ± 2.3 on the numerical rating scale). Of the patients, 52.1% had previously consulted their general practitioner, and 62% had visited the dermatologist due to pruritus. This study shows that pruritus is a highly prevalent, clinically and economically relevant symptom in dermatological practices. The majority of patients suffering from chronic pruritus are severely burdened and medically underserved. Dermatologists should be aware that pruritus also occurs frequently in patients who do not primarily present due to their symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associated with a host of different diseases, pruritus is a cardinal symptom that poses an interdisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Over time, that symptom may progress independently of the initial cause, thus losing its function as a warning sign and turning into a clinically relevant disease of its own. In Germany, approximately 13.5 % of the general population are affected by chronic pruritus, with an incidence of 7 %. All forms of chronic pruritus require targeted treatment consisting of (a) diagnosis and management of the underlying disease, (b) dermatological treatment of primary or secondary (for example, dry skin, scratch lesions) symptoms, (c) symptomatic antipruritic treatment, and (d) psychological/psychotherapeutic treatment in case of an underlying or associated psychological or psychosomatic condition. Medical care of patients with chronic pruritus should therefore include an interdisciplinary approach, in particular with respect to diagnosis and therapy of the underlying disease as well as in terms of the management of treatment and adverse events. The objective of the present interdisciplinary guidelines is to define and standardize diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patients with chronic pruritus. This is a short version of the current S2 guidelines on chronic pruritus. The long version may be found at www.awmf.org., (© 2017 The Authors | Journal compilation © Blackwell Verlag GmbH, Berlin.)