PRURIGO NODULARIS

Course overview

PRURIGO NODULARIS IS A CHRONIC DISORDER OF THE SKIN THAT IS CLASSICALLY SEEN AS MULTIPLE, FIRM, FLESH TO PINK COLORED PAPULES, PLAQUES AND NODULES COMMONLY LOCATED ON THE EXTENSOR SURFACES OF THE EXTREMITIES. THE LESIONS ARE VERY PRURITIC AND CAN OCCUR IN ANY AGE GROUP. IT IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER DISEASE SUCH AS ATOPIC DERMATITIS OR ANY DERMATOSES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC PRURITUS. THE DIAGNOSIS IS CHIEFLY CLINICAL. HOWEVER, LICHEN SIMPLEX CHRONICUS AND HYPERTOPHIC LICHEN PLANUS MAY BE CLINICALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE IN MANY CASES. THUS DIAGNOSTIC CONFIRMATION WITH DERMOSCOPY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY BECOMES IMPORTANT. THE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IS WIDE-ARRAYED RANGING FROM TREATMENTS THAT ACT AS - POTENT ANTIPRURITICS, IMMUNOMODULATORS, AND NEUROMODULATORS. TREATMENT IN AN ESTABLISHED CASE IS PROLONGED AND IMPROVING PATIENT COMPLIANCE WITH EDUCATION AND COUNSELING IS IMPORTANT. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PRURIGO NODULARIS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.