The role of topical anesthetics in the management of chronic pruritus

AbstractChronic itch is a debilitating symptom that significant decreases patients’ quality of life. Topical corticosteroids and antihistamines are commonly used for itch. However, these therapies are not long-term solutions for chronic pruritus because of their feared side effects, including skin atrophy and cognitive impairment, respectively. As such, dermatologists require additional therapies for long-term management of chronic pruritus. Topical anesthetics have been shown in many studies to be effective antipruritic agents. We performed a review of the literature on various types of chronic pruritus treated with topical anesthetics. The randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective studies, and case series available suggest that topical anesthetics have potential to be rapidly effective antipruritic agents for a variety of causes of chronic pruritus, including pruritic dermatoses (e.g. contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis), postburn pruritus, and neurogenic itch (e.g. nostalgia par...

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