European S2k Guideline on Chronic Pruritus Weisshaar, Elke; Szepietowski, Jacek C; Dalgard, Florence J ...
Acta dermato-venereologica,
04/2019, Volume:
99, Issue:
5
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Pruritus is a frequent symptom in medicine. Population-based studies show that every 5th person in the general population has suffered from chronic pruritus at least once in the lifetime with a ...12-month incidence of 7%. In patient populations its frequency is much higher depending on the underlying cause, ranging from around 25% in haemodialysis patients to 100% in skin diseases such as urticaria and atopic dermatitis (AD). Pruritus may be the result of a dermatological or non-dermatological disease. Especially in non-diseased skin it may be caused by systemic, neurological or psychiatric diseases, as well as being a side effect of medications. In a number of cases chronic pruritus may be of multifactorial origin. Pruritus needs a precise diagnostic work-up. Management of chronic pruritus comprises treatment of the underlying disease and topical treatment modalities, including symptomatic antipruritic treatment, ultraviolet phototherapy and systemic treatment. Treating chronic pruritus needs to be targeted, multimodal and performed in a step-wise procedure requiring an interdisciplinary approach. We present the updated and consensus based (S2k) European guideline on chronic pruritus by a team of European pruritus experts from different disciplines. This version is an updated version of the guideline that was published in 2012 and updated in 2014 (www.euroderm.org).
Chronic nodular prurigo is characterized by recalcitrant itch. Patient perspectives on therapeutic goals, satisfaction with therapy and efficacy of therapeutic regimens for this condition are ...unknown. This questionnaire study examined these issues in 406 patients with chronic nodular prurigo from 15 European dermatological centres. Improvements in itch, skin lesions and sleep were the most important goals. Emollients, topical corticosteroids and antihistamines were the most frequently used treatments, while a minority of patients were prescribed potent medications, such as systemic immunosuppressants and gabapentinoids. Most patients were not satisfied with their previous therapy (56.8%), while 9.8% did not receive any therapy despite having active disease. A substantial number of respondents (28.7%) considered none of the therapeutic options effective. Although chronic nodular prurigo is a severe disease, most patients were not treated with potent systemic drugs, which may contribute to the high levels of dissatisfaction and disbelief in available therapies. Specific guidelines for chronic nodular prurigo and the development of novel therapies are necessary to improve care.
Psoriasis can involve the skin, joints, nails and cardiovascular system and result in a significant impairment in quality of life. Studies have shown a lower response rate to systemic anti-psoriatic ...therapies in smokers, and smoking is a trigger factor for psoriasis. The aim of this study was therefore to analyse the response to systemic therapies for psoriasis, with a focus on smoking. Prospectively collected data from patients with moderate to severe psoriasis included in the national psoriasis registries for Germany and Switzerland (PsoBest and SDNTT) were analysed. Therapy response was defined as reaching a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) reduction of 75%, PASI ≤ 3 or Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) ≤ 1. Out of 5,346 patients included in these registries, 1,264 met the inclusion criteria for this study. In the smoking group, 715 (60.6%) reached therapy response at month 3, compared with 358 (63.7%) in the non-smoking group (p ≤ 0.269), 659 (74.1%) vs. 330 (77%) reached therapy response at month 6 (p ≤ 0.097), and 504 (76.6%) vs. 272 (79.0%) at month 12 (p ≤ 0.611). Therefore, these data do not show that smoking affects the response rate of anti-psoriatic therapy after 3, 6 and 12 months.
At the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, Switzerland was among the countries with the highest number of SARS-CoV2-infections per capita in the world. Lockdowns had a remarkable impact on ...primary care access and resulted in postponed cancer screenings. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the diagnosis of melanomas and stage of melanomas at diagnosis. In this retrospective, exploratory cohort study, 1240 patients with a new diagnosis of melanoma were analyzed at five tertiary care hospitals in German-speaking Switzerland over a period of two years and three months. We compared the pre-lockdown (01/FEB/19-15/MAR/20, n = 655) with the lockdown (16/MAR/20-22/JUN/20, n = 148) and post-lockdown period (23/JUN/20-30/APR/21, n = 437) by evaluating patients' demographics and prognostic features using Breslow thickness, ulceration, subtype, and stages. We observed a short-term, two-week rise in melanoma diagnoses after the major lift of social lockdown restrictions. The difference of mean Breslow thicknesses was significantly greater in older females during the lockdown compared to the pre-lockdown (1.9 ± 1.3 mm,
= 0.03) and post-lockdown period (1.9 ± 1.3 mm,
= 0.048). Thickness increase was driven by nodular melanomas (2.9 ± 1.3 mm,
= 0.0021; resp. 2.6 ± 1.3 mm,
= 0.008). A proportional rise of advanced melanomas was observed during lockdown (
= 0.047). The findings provide clinically relevant insights into lockdown-related gender- and age-dependent effects on melanoma diagnosis. Our data highlight a stable course in new melanomas with a lower-than-expected increase in the post-lockdown period. The lockdown period led to a greater thickness in elderly women driven by nodular melanomas and a proportional shift towards stage IV melanoma. We intend to raise awareness for individual cancer care in future pandemic management strategies.
Background
Teledermatology is currently finding its place in modern health care worldwide as a rapidly evolving field.
Objective
The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptance of ...teledermatology compared to in-person consultation from the perspective of patients and professionals.
Methods
This multicenter, cross-sectional pilot study was performed at secondary and tertiary referral centers of dermatology in Switzerland from August 2019 to January 2020. A customized questionnaire addressing demographics and educational data, experience with telemedicine, and presumed willingness to replace in-patient consultations with teledermatology was completed by dermatological patients, dermatologists, and health care workers in dermatology.
Results
Among a total of 664 participants, the ones with previous telemedicine experience (171/664, 25.8%) indicated a high level of overall experience with it (patients: 73/106, 68.9%, dermatologists: 6/8, 75.0%, and health care workers: 27/34, 79.4%). Patients, dermatologists, and health care workers were most likely willing to replace in-person consultations with teledermatology for minor health issues (353/512, 68.9%; 37/45, 82.2%; and 89/107, 83.2%, respectively). We observed a higher preference for telemedicine among individuals who have already used telemedicine (patients: P<.001, dermatologists: P=.03, and health care workers, P=.005), as well as among patients with higher educational levels (P=.003).
Conclusions
This study indicates that the preference for teledermatology has a high potential to increase over time since previous experience with telemedicine and a higher level of education were associated with a higher willingness to replace in-patient consultations with telemedicine. We assume that minor skin problems are the most promising issue in teledermatology. Our findings emphasize the need for dermatologists to be actively involved in the transition to teledermatology.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04495036; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04495036
Actinic keratosis (AK) affects millions of people worldwide, and its prevalence continues to increase. AK lesions are caused by chronic ultraviolet radiation exposure, and the presence of two or more ...AK lesions along with photodamage should raise the consideration of a diagnosis of field cancerization. Effective treatment of individual lesions as well as field cancerization is essential for good long-term outcomes. The Swiss Registry of Actinic Keratosis Treatment (REAKT) Working Group has developed clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of field cancerization in patients who present with AK. These guidelines are intended to serve as a resource for physicians as to the most appropriate treatment and management of AK and field cancerization based on current evidence and the combined practical experience of the authors. Treatment of AK and field cancerization should be driven by consideration of relevant patient, disease, and treatment factors, and appropriate treatment decisions will differ from patient to patient. Prevention measures and screening recommendations are discussed, and special considerations related to management of immunocompromised patients are provided.
Chronic pruritus is a multifactorial, challenging symptom of global relevance.
The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Network on Assessment of Severity and Burden of Pruritus (PruNet) ...investigation aimed to analyze the severity and humanistic burden of chronic pruritus in patients suffering from inflammatory dermatoses across Europe.
Prospectively collected routine data on 552 patients (with atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, prurigo nodularis, psoriasis vulgaris, lichen planus, or mycosis fungoides pruritus numeric rating scale score ≥3) from 9 European centers (in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey) were analyzed by univariate and multivariate variance analyses of various itch characteristics and quality of life (as measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index and the ItchyQoL).
Duration, frequency, and intensity of pruritus (according to a numeric rating scale and visual analog scale) and related impairment of quality of life differed between European centers and dermatologic diagnoses (P < .05). The country in which the center was located had a greater impact on how patients evaluated pruritus intensity and quality of life than diagnosis did (P < .001).
One center per country was included.
The humanistic burden of chronic pruritus in patients with inflammatory dermatoses is high. European cross-cultural factors may have a stronger influence than a specific dermatologic diagnosis on how patients rate intensity of pruritus and quality of life.
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