title: Successful Treatment of Recalcitrant Prurigo with Alitretinoin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic itch with secondary scratch lesions such as prurigo has a major impact on quality of life. Due to its relapsing nature and often unknown origin, its treatment is challenging.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to demonstrate that alitretinoin can be an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment in a patient suffering from chronic itch with concomitant prurigo and psoriatic lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 1 month of alitretinoin treatment (30 mg daily), itch as well as prurigo and psoriasis lesions decreased markedly. Three cycles of alitretinoin were administered, as each cessation of treatment led to relapse of the symptoms after 6-8 weeks. Tapering of the alitretinoin dose (30 mg every second day) after the third cycle allowed to maintain the effects for over 18 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of refractory prurigo with alitretinoin might be an efficacious alternative to standard therapies. In case of relapse, retreatment with alitretinoin reinduces a further long-lasting response.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Karolina
authors: K
authors: Gadaldi
authors: Yeliz
authors: Y
authors: Erdemoğlu
authors: Nikhil
authors: N
authors: Yawalkar
mesh_terms: D000077556:Alitretinoin; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011536:Prurigo / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications; D019233:Retreatment; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077556:Alitretinoin; D014212:Tretinoin