[Pruritus. Physiopathology, clinical features, and treatment]

Pruritus is a subjective disturbance that accompanies many dermatological, allergic and internal medicine disorders. It may well be the only symptom that leads a patient to consult a doctor. In situations of this kind, the cause of the complaint is very hard to determine and the tests employed often fail to give a clear-cut answer. This paper stresses the complexity of the hypotheses advanced to illustrate the pathogenesis of pruritus and reviews its many chemical mediators. An account is also given of the pathogenetic pointers that can be drawn from the conditions, including some within the compass of internal medicine, most commonly associated with pruritus and taken into consideration in the planning of individual treatment regimens.