Prurigo pigmentosa in Korea: clinicopathological study

Prurigo pigmentosa (PP) is an inflammatory dermatosis characterized by recurrent pruritic erythematous papules, mainly located on the trunk. It was first described by Nagashima in 1971 in Japan. Since then, more than 300 cases have been reported in Japan, but reports from other parts of the world are quite rare.

We studied clinical and histopathological data from six patients with PP diagnosed in our hospital and 43 patients (18 reports) who were diagnosed with PP in Korea between 1988 and 2008.

The number of Korean patients reported in recent years is higher than the number of other non-Japanese patients reported. Clinicopathological characteristics in Korean patients were not significantly different from those previously reported. Therapeutic results with minocycline were successful in our patients.

We suspect that PP is not uncommon in Korea, and the disease may be underestimated. Strict restriction of diet as well as known associated factors like wet condition are suggested as one of the important factors contributing to the occurrence of PP in Korea.