This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Pruritus prevalent in patients with small-fiber neuropathies

Pruritus appears to be a common and frequently overlooked symptom of small-fiber neuropathies, according to a study.

The most common sensory symptoms reported by the 41patients with SFN who responded to a questionnaire were burning (77.5%), pain (72.5%), heat (70.2%) and numbness (67.5%).

Pruritus was reported as a symptom in 68.3% of patients with SFN. In these respondents, the areas of the body most commonly affected were, in order, the back, the foot, the shin, the forearm and head, the neck, hand, thigh and arm, the chest, and the abdomen.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the average intensity of pruritus was rated as 4.79.

Cold water alleviated pruritus in 44% of affected patients, but sleep, rest, activity, physical effort, hot water, and cold temperatures had variable or no effect on pruritus. Intensity of pruritus was worsened by fatigue, skin dryness, sweating, hot temperatures and stress.

“[P]ruritus is a very frequent symptom in patients with SFN and could be recognized by dermatologists as a possible presenting symptom, especially if there are other sensory symptoms, or autonomic symptoms,” the study authors wrote.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant disclosures.