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Query: UMLS:C0033774 (pruritus)
 14,546 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

7 cases of pruritus in pregnancy are reported and their laboratory findings compared with a group of normal pregnant women; then pruritus is reviewed with respect to diagnosis, pathogenesis, therapy, and prognosis. The 7 women developed pruritus in 28-38 weeks of typically the 2nd pregnancy, although during oral contraception in 1 woman. The frequency was about 2/1000 pregnancies. Lab findings suggestive of cholestasis included normal prothrombin, elevated transaminaes, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, and slowed BSP clearance. None of these women had any history of hepatitis, medication, or positive Australia antigen. It is important in diagnosis to rule out infections, toxic or iatrogenic hepatitis, and especially herpes gestationis, which is teratogenic. Pruritus of pregnancy is identical to that seen during oral contraception, i.e., it is a less severe form of cholestatsis than jaundice. It can be treated with cholestyramine, or will regress spontaneously after delivery, but may cause prematurity.
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PMID:[Significance of pruritus during pregnancy. Relations with the hepatic disorders of gestation]. 113 31

During pregnancy and also during childhood, pruritus can have manifold aetiologies and should therefore always be taken seriously. In pregnancy, pruritus is the main dermatological symptom, occurring in 18% of women. Pregnancy-specific dermatological diseases such as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP), Pemphigoid (Herpes) gestationis, Pruritus gravidarum are accompanied by severe pruritus and scratching. In children, it mainly occurs along with dermatoses but in rare cases with systemic diseases such as renal or liver failure. Mostly, it appears in the setting of atopic dermatitis (AD). Both groups of patients require therapeutic regimens of their own. The use of topical and systemic treatments depends on the underlying aetiology of the pruritus and the stage and status of the skin. Because of potential effects on the fetus, the treatment of pruritus in pregnancy requires prudent consideration of whether the severity of the underlying disease warrants treatment and selection of the safest treatments available. Systemic treatments such as systemic glucocorticosteroids, a restricted number of antihistamines and ultraviolet phototherapy may be necessary in severe and generalized forms of pruritus in pregnancy. In children, the physician has to consider that topically applied drugs may cause intoxication due to the different body volume/body surface proportion. The dosages of systemic drugs need to be adapted in children and ultraviolet phototherapy should be performed with caution due to possible longterm photo damage of the skin. In a two center approach, we wanted to highlight the major aetiologies of pruritus during pregnancy and in children and point out the mainstays of antipruritic therapy in these two challenging groups of patients according to our clinical experiences. For the future, it would be desirable for all disciplines involved (dermatologist, gynaecologist, paediatrician, general practitioner) to cooperate closely to expand the clinical and scientific knowledge of pruritus in these groups of pruritus patients.
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PMID:Pruritus in pregnancy and childhood--do we really consider all relevant differential diagnoses? 1617 38