Pruritus in patients with chronic leg ulcers: A frequent and often neglected problem

There is a paucity of studies regarding pruritus in patients with chronic leg ulcers. Data were collected using newly developed questionnaires for patients and physicians to evaluate pruritus in individuals with chronic leg ulcers. The results show that a total of 50 patients with chronic leg ulcers were included in this prospective study. Frequent pruritus was observed in 32.0% of the participants, while 36.0% reported occasional pruritus. The average pruritus intensity was 3.5 points (0-10 numeric rating scale [NRS]) and was found to increase with age. Patients experiencing pruritus achieved a higher Wound-quality of life (QoL) score (32.1) as that of patients without pruritus (25.8). Additional dermatological findings around the wounds included xerosis (26.0%), eczema (4.0%), and excoriations (2.0%). Pruritus was reported by all subjects with eczema and 84.6% of those with xerosis. The pruritus lasted significantly longer in women (average 98.4 months) vs men (average 37.5 months). Interestingly, men reported more intense pruritus than women (4.4 vs 2.8). Females reported more frequent use of skin care products than males. In conclusion, the current data show that two-thirds of patients with chronic leg ulcers suffer from moderate intense pruritus. Therefore, pruritus is a frequent and often neglected problem that should be regularly evaluated in all patients with chronic leg ulcers and considered in future therapy concepts.