Pruritus, Pain, and Depression Associated with the Most Common Skin Diseases: Data from the French Study “Objectifs Peau”

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The prevalence and impact of pruritus, pain, and other sensory symptoms in skin diseases are poorly known. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To assess the frequency of these symptoms with dermatoses and their association with depression using data from the “Objectifs Peau” survey. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A representative sample of 20,012 French individuals was created using the usual quota method. <b><i>Results:</i></b> When patients suffered from both pruritus and skin pain, they had a higher relative risk of psychological suffering (2.9) than those who suffered only from pruritus (1.4) or skin pain (1.2). Pruritus was reported in 48.55% of patients with acne, 43.24% with mycoses, 44.35% with warts, and 36.51% with rosacea. For skin pain, the results were 11.22%, 27.59%, and 16.13% for atopic dermatitis, acne, and warts, respectively. Other unpleasant sensations, such as tingling or burning, were also frequently reported. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Pruritus, pain, or other sensory symptoms were found to be common not only in classic pruritic skin diseases but also in acne, rosacea, or warts. The association of pruritus and pain dramatically increased psychological suffering. These symptoms must be systematically searched for in patients, especially since new therapeutic possibilities are emerging for the symptomatic treatment of pruritus.

Basal cell carcinoma and rosacea: coincidence or relationship?

“…However, due to the fact that both rosacea and BCC share the same risk factors -UV exposure, the potential association should not be neglected. According to recent studies, BCC may cause also itching of the skin [15], a symptom which was previously linked mostly to inflammatory skin conditions, such as rosacea [16]. What is worth noticing, most of the BCC in men in our group were located on the nose, which is also a typical location of rhinophyma.…”

The association of adverse reactions and depression in cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy: moderated mediation models

“…Skin dryness and itching in patients with cervical cancer is mainly caused by inflammatory skin reactions caused by radiation exposure, which not only leads to changes in physical appearance and lowers patients’ self-esteem levels, but also significantly reduces patients’ quality of life and causes significant psychological burden ( Chu et al, 2021 ; Asada et al, 2022 ), with studies reporting insomnia in over 88% of patients with pruritic skin. Pruritic skin can significantly reduce patients’ quality of life, and with pruritic skin disease, patients are 1.4 times more likely to suffer from depressive mood or anxiety than those who do not ( Kopyciok et al, 2016 ; Huet et al, 2022 ). Therefore, taking into account the cost of intervention and patient benefit, it is recommended that in clinical psycho-oncology practice, the target of depression interventions when skin dryness and itching are present should be determined based on the specific quality of life and marital relations status of the cervical cancer patient.…”

Prevalence, Intensity and Psychosocial Burden of Acne Itch: Two Different Cohorts Study

“…Similarly, a study of 371 Chinese acne patients showed that itching was present in 45% of males and 46% of females [ 16 ]. Additionally, Huet et al [ 18 ] found itching in 48.55% of patients with acne. A higher frequency of itching was reported by Lim et al [ 15 ], who studied 120 acne patients with a mean age of 22 years (age range: 12–40 years), and demonstrated that 70% of the patients reported itching in acne lesions either at the time of study performance or in the past.…”

“…For years, acne has been regarded as a non-itchy skin condition. To the best of our knowledge, there are only a few reports on itching in acne patients available in the literature, indicating that at least some acne patients may experience itching sensations [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”