title: Cholestatic pruritus: a retrospective analysis on clinical characteristics and treatment response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic cholestatic pruritus (ChP) is caused by various hepatobiliary disorders. This retrospective study describes the distribution of underlying diseases, clinical characteristics and treatment efficacy in a consecutive collective of patients with ChP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Extensive data from 60 patients with ChP (30 women, 30 men; mean age: 58.0 ± 17.0 years) were retrospectively statistically analyzed concerning demographic data, pruritus characteristics, and response to therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study population, 40.0% of the patients suffered from hepatitis B or C. Regarding the overall population, pruritus started in 50% of patients after diagnosis of the underlying hepatobiliary disorder. Only in patients with immune-mediated liver diseases did pruritus more often occur before diagnosis (p < 0.05). Only 23.3% of the patients reported an initial palmoplantar pruritus. Along with other drugs, anticonvulsants proved to be an effective treatment regime.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, viral pathogenesis was the most common cause of ChP. Other underlying diseases were represented to a lower extent in the total study population. Overall, the collected clinical parameters in each group were comparable. Thus, it was difficult to draw conclusions on the pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Competence Center Chronic Pruritus and Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huesmann
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huesmann
authors.forename: Nani
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Ngoc Quan
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Andreas E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ständer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011537:Pruritus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult