Characteristics of Pruritus in Relation to Self-assessed Severity of Atopic Dermatitis

Flavien Huet (1) , Marie-Sarah Faffa (1) , Florence Poizeau (2, 3) , Stephanie Merhand , Laurent Misery (1) , Emilie Brenaut (1)

1 CHU - BREST - Hôpital de la Cavale Blanche - CHRU Brest
2 Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes [CHU Rennes] = Rennes University Hospital [Ponchaillou]
3 REPERES - Recherche en Pharmaco-épidémiologie et Recours aux Soins

The objective of this study was to explore characteristics of pruritus in atopic dermatitis (AD) in relation to the severity of AD. A web-questionnaire was used, which included the Patient-Oriented SCORing Atopic Dermatitis index, the 5-D itch scale and the Brest questionnaire. A total of 170 participants were included (86.5% women, mean age 30.9 years). Severity of AD was mild for 8.2% of patients, moderate for 38.2% and severe for 53.5%. Mean 5-D itch scale was 13.2. The mean intensity of pruritus was 5.8, and mean sleep loss was 4.7 (from 0 to 10). The participants frequently described burning (61.8%) and stinging (58.8%); these symptoms suggest a neuropathic component. Pruritus was worse in severe AD compared with moderate AD, exhibiting a higher impact on sleep and more associated symptoms. The majority of participants reported sleep disturbance as a result of pruritus. The characteristics of pruritus varied depending on the severity of AD.

Mots clés: PO-SCORAD; atopic dermatitis; itch; 5-D itch scale; questionnaire; pruritus; web questionnaire

Domaines: Dermatologie

Flavien Huet, Marie-Sarah Faffa, Florence Poizeau, Stephanie Merhand, Laurent Misery, et al.. Characteristics of Pruritus in Relation to Self-assessed Severity of Atopic Dermatitis. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 2019, 99 (3), pp.279-283. ⟨10.2340/00015555-3053⟩. ⟨hal-02121021⟩