“ Nodular prurigo, also known as chronic prurigo, is a relatively rare but extremely distressing disease. », explains Professor Laurent Misery, head of the Dermatology department at Brest University Hospital and president of the French association for the study treatment of pruritus in dermatology (AFTEP).
“ It is characterized by intense itching and the presence of nodules on the surface of the skin, resulting from this itching. This disease can occur at any age, but it generally begins after the age of 50. » In total, more than 680,000 people live with this disease worldwide. For Professor Misery, diagnostic wandering linked to prurigo poses a real problem. “ We see diagnostic errors very regularly, because the disease is often confused with other skin conditions. »
“ Symptoms of prurigo nodularis can manifest in two main ways », Specifies Professor Jean-David Bouaziz, head of the dermatology department at Saint-Louis hospital in Paris. “ Either the patient initially presents with small skin lesions which gradually evolve into larger nodules through scratching, or the nodules appear directly. Severe itching mainly affects the upper and lower limbs as well as the trunk, but rarely the face or scalp.. »
A quality of life at half mast
“ It’s a crazy disease… Just thinking about it still makes me itch », testifies Thibaut, suffering from nodular prurigo. If this illness does not constitute a life-threatening emergency, “ the intense itching it causes has a significant impact on patients’ quality of life », Indicates Professor Bouaziz.
“ Patients report particularly serious sleep problems to us, as well as a deterioration in their social and professional life.. We also see symptoms of anxiety and depression. » In fact, more than half of patients say that the disease negatively affects their daily life.
Inform, raise awareness to better support
To learn more about prurigo nodulaire you can go to www.prurigo-nodulaire.fr. Thanks to a conversational agent (Chatbot), you can answer 5 questions aimed at assessing the current state of your illness. Sanofi and Regeneron engage in dermatology research to address the unmet needs of patients with prurigo nodularis. More information on: https://www.sanofi.fr/fr/votre-sante/domaines-therapeutiques/immunologie/prurigo-nodulaire
Finally there is the France Prurigo Nodulaire Association (AFPN). You will find a lot of information on its website: www.franceprurigonodulaire.com/.
