Abstract
Pruritus is the most common symptom in dermatology. Chronic pruritus (itch for more than 6 weeks) can be very distressing and can be as difficult to live with as chronic pain. Many patients can develop secondary psychiatric problems such as anxiety, insomnia or depression. Conversely, a primary psychiatric disorder may present with pruritus because of an illusion, delusion or phobia. Chronic itch can cause severe impairment in a patient’s quality of life. While every effort should be made to identify and treat the underlying cause, effective anti- pruritus measure may be required while awaiting the results of investigations, a response to treatment or if no cause can be found for the itch.
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References
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Buckley, D. (2021). Pruritus (Itch). In: Buckley, D., Pasquali, P. (eds) Textbook of Primary Care Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29101-3_50
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29101-3_50
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