title: [Drug-induced pruritus].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pruritus, especially chronic pruritus, has long been underestimated and leads to high psychological strain in the affected patients. Even today, in spite of receiving increased attention, the underlying etiology cannot always be identified.
  
  
  METHODS
  We review potential underlying pathologic mechanisms of drug-induced pruritus, focusing among others on current dermato-oncological medications in terms of their pruritogenic risks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute pruritus must be distinguished from chronic pruritus which lasts for a minimum of 6 weeks. There are various therapeutic approaches for drug-induced pruritus. As a first step, the drug causing the pruritus has to be identified; then the intake of that drug has to be ceased or modified. This may not always be possible, as in the case of chemotherapy agents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With regard to the demographic development of the population with increasing life expectancy and the resulting increasing polypharmacy, drugs will have to be taken into account as a possible cause for pruritus more often in the future. It would be desirable to routinely assess pruritus as a possible adverse effect in regulatory drug studies.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Klinische Sozialmedizin, Schwerpunkt: Berufs- und Umweltdermatologie, Universitätsklinikum, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Thibautstr. 3, 69115, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maleki
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weisshaar
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003879:Dermatologic Agents