Assessment of pruritus in patients with viral hepatitis B and C

Introduction
Itching is an unpleasant subjective sensation that leads to scratching. It is a common symptom of skin diseases but may also occur in various systemic diseases.

Objective
To assess the prevalence and clinical characteristics of itching accompanying viral hepatitis B (HBV) and/or C (HCV).

Material and methods
Screening was performed among 110 persons infected with HBV, HCV or both. A total of 22 (20%) patients aged 25–68 years with pruritus were included for further analysis. The study was based on a questionnaire containing questions about general health, duration of liver disease and its clinical picture, accompanying illnesses, medications and pruritus.

Results
In the analyzed group, 9 patients were diagnosed with type B hepatitis, whereas in 13 hepatitis type C was confirmed. The duration of liver disease ranged from 3 to 22 years. In 15 (68.2%) patients liver cirrhosis was documented; 1 (4.5%) patient suffered from hepatocellular carcinoma. The most common site of pruritus was the trunk (n = 13, 59.1%), generalized pruritus was observed in 3 (13.6%) patients. Secondary scratch lesions were found in 14 (63.6%) people. The most common period of pruritus occurrence was the evening and night, whereas pruritus was noted least commonly in the morning.

Conclusions
Pruritus affects about 20% of patients with viral hepatitis, which in some cases might be associated with marked liver damage or liver cirrhosis.