title: Effectiveness of topical peppermint oil on symptomatic treatment of chronic pruritus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pruritus is one of the commonest skin complaints. Peppermint oil can be effective in reducing the severity of such a condition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of topically applied peppermint oil in the treatment of chronic pruritus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty selected subjects diagnosed with chronic pruritus due to hepatic, renal, or diabetic cause were studied and divided into two groups of 25 patients each. Group I patients were instructed to hydrate the skin and then apply topical peppermint oil, while Group II patients applied petrolatum topically by hand; this application was done on the areas of pruritus, twice daily for 2 weeks. The severity of the itch was assessed and compared before and after the study by the 5-D itch scale (5D-IS). The results were analyzed by SPSS software. Statistical methods such as descriptive analysis, independent samplest-test, paired samplest-test, and chi-square test were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant improvement regarding all studied individual parameters (5-D IS) for the peppermint oil users with no significance among petrolatum users. A comparison of total score of 5-D IS between patients of Group I and patients of Group II favored the improvement following the use of peppermint oil than using placebo (P-value <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The topical treatment of chronic pruritus with peppermint oil is effective, easy to use, safe, cheap, and more acceptable for those whose topical and systemic treatments tend to be irritating, contraindicated, or less well tolerated.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Al Azhar University.
authors: Lotfy T
authors: LT
authors: Elsaie
authors: Department of Dermatology, Al Azhar University.
authors: Abdelraouf M
authors: AM
authors: El Mohsen
authors: Department of Dermatology, Al Azhar University.
authors: Ibrahim M
authors: IM
authors: Ibrahim
authors: Department of Dermatology, Al Azhar University.
authors: Mahmoud H
authors: MH
authors: Mohey-Eddin
authors: Department of Dermatology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Mohamed L
authors: ML
authors: Elsaie
keywords: itch; peppermint oil; pruritus