title: Notalgia paraesthetica: a descriptive two-cohort study of 65 patients from Brazil and Germany.
abstract: Notalgia paraesthetica is a neuropathic pruritus on the back. The aim of this retrospective study was to examine patient characteristics in a consecutive cohort from Brazil and Germany. A total of 65 patients (49 women, 16 men; age range 25-80 years, mean 56.2 ± 12.7 years; median 57.0 years) were investigated in order to determine the spinal or peripheral origin of notalgia paraesthetica. Protein gene product 9.5-positive intraepidermal nerve fibers were significantly reduced in the pruritic compared with the non-lesional area (p < 0.05). In 32.3% of patients, radiological examinations showed a stenosis and in 47.7% a degeneration. A correlation between the radiological findings and the exact dermatomal localization of notalgia paraesthetica was found in 15.7% of the involved areas. The significant reduction in intraepidermal nerve fiber density suggests that damage to the peripheral nerves is a more important aetiological factor than spinal changes in notalgia paraesthetica.
authors.affiliation: Competence Center Chronic Pruritus, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huesmann
authors.forename: Paulo R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Nani
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huesmann
authors.forename: Tiago P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Zanelato
authors.forename: Ngoc Quan
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Gabriela M Abreu
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gontijo
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marziniak
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ständer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001415:Back; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C482860:UCHL1 protein, human; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase