Prurigo Nodularis
An Introduction to Prurigo nodularis
Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with pruritic nodules. PN lesions may occur in any age group but are most commonly seen in older adults. It can be associated with another cutaneous hypersensitivity disorder, such as atopic dermatitis or chronic pruritus, and its exact aetiology remains poorly understood. The condition is associated with significant physical and psychological morbidity and is often refractory to treatment. With currently limited agents approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the management of PN is difficult, and available treatment options are often multimodal due to the intersection of neuroimmune etiologic factors in the pathogenesis of PN. Novel therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, opioid-antagonists and interleukin-31 targeting agents are emerging, providing hope for this patient population.