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Received Apr 9, 2017; Revised Aug 15, 2017; Accepted Aug 23, 2017
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1. Introduction
Pruritus is defined as an unpleasant sensation leading to the desire to scratch. It can be distinguished as acute (<6 weeks) or chronic (i.e., pruritus lasting 6 or more weeks). Chronic pruritus, which can be distressing and often refractory to treatment, is associated with many diseases. It is a primary symptom of various dermatological diseases, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and urticaria. It is also a common feature of several systemic diseases, such as chronic kidney failure, cholestatic liver diseases, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and haematopoietic disorders [1–3]. Chronic pruritus is often accompanied by a high level of psychiatric comorbidities and sleep disturbances with considerable impact on the health-related quality of life (QoL) [4]. Pruritus is a subjective symptom and, therefore, it is difficult to be accurately measured in an objective way. However, developing and validating measures are becoming increasingly important in dermatological research. The development of new therapeutic approaches requires an objective assessment of diseases. The assessment of the antipruritic effect is, to date, based solely on patient reports on the course of pruritus or measurements of scratch movements [4]. Assessing the intensity of pruritus as objectively as possible is extremely important, not only for research purposes, but also in clinical practice. However, an ideal scoring system for all the purposes is not available. Currently, several assessment methods are available to evaluate pruritus severity: monodimensional Pruritus Severity Scales (e.g., Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) [5]), multidimensional questionnaires (like the 5-D Pruritus Scale [2], Pruritus Severity Scale [3], and the Eppendorf Pruritus Questionnaire [6]), and the measurement of sensory threshold or scratching activity [7].
Based on the recently published consensus, it is recommended to use the VAS or NRS...