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Pruritus can be a life-altering process with serious impact on quality of life. In some patients a cause cannot be found. The empiric use of corticosteroids both topically and systemically, various immunosuppressive agents, oral antihistamines, tricyclic antipsychotic, gabapentin, and ultraviolet B phototherapy have been tried; patients are often referred to tertiary centers for evaluation and management.
These authors reviewed azathioprine use in 96 pruritus patients treated by one of them over a decade, excluding patients with end-stage renal disease and evidence of cholestasis, which are known causes of pruritus. Most patients received oral azathioprine in a single daily dose of 150 mg. In self-ratings of pruritus on a visual analog scale…