[Pruritus].

Abstract

Pruritus is an annoying skin disturbance which is often amenable neither to diagnostic nor to therapeutic interventions. Occasionally, generalized pruritus can be ameliorated by treating the underlying disease (e.g. iron deficiency, hyperthyroidism). The good response to ultraviolet radiation opens new possibilities which should be tried in patients with chronic renal insufficiency or cholestasis. The existence of a UV-sensitive pruritogen could explain a multitude of findings and phenomena.