Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (708 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A name applied to several itchy skin eruptions of unknown cause. The characteristic course is the formation of a dome-shaped papule with a small transient vesicle on top, followed by crusting over or lichenification. (From Dorland, 27th ed)
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Skin Diseases
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 1,690 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Prurigo” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 458 of them (27.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 739 records.
Reviews account for 201 records (11.9%) and meta-analyses for 10. Randomized controlled trials number 35 (2.1%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 739 |
| 2000-2009 | 217 |
| 2010-2019 | 276 |
| 2020 onward | 458 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 201 | 11.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 10 | 0.6% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 35 | 2.1% |
Method: PubMed query "Prurigo"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in bones, joints, muscles and skin
Joint, bone, muscle and skin conditions are often judged by pain scores, function questionnaires, imaging or photographs, and symptoms can fluctuate, so placebo response and natural improvement matter. Imaging changes are common in people without symptoms. Nothing on this page is advice about treatment. Check how outcomes were measured, whether the comparison group received a placebo or usual care, and how long the benefit lasted.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dupilumab in patients with prurigo nodularis: two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials | 2023 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 195 | cc by PMID 37142763 · DOI · PMC10202800 |
| Dupilumab in Inflammatory Skin Diseases: A Systematic Review | 2023 | Systematic review Design not recorded in structured metadata | 80 | cc by PMID 37189381 · DOI · PMC10136243 |
| Molecular mechanisms of pruritus in prurigo nodularis | 2023 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 39 | cc by PMID 38077377 · DOI · PMC10701428 |
| Somatic mutations reveal hyperactive Notch signaling in prurigo nodularis | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42018657 · DOI · PMC13135409 |
Dupilumab in patients with prurigo nodularis: two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with intensely pruritic nodules.
- Closing excerpt
- gov identifiers: NCT04183335 and NCT04202679 .
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (217 words)
Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with intensely pruritic nodules. The LIBERTY-PN PRIME and PRIME2 phase 3 trials enrolled adults with PN with ≥20 nodules and severe itch uncontrolled with topical therapies. Dupilumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody, blocks the shared receptor component for interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13. Patients were randomized 1:1 to 300 mg dupilumab or placebo subcutaneously every 2 weeks for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was pruritus improvement, measured by proportion of patients with a ≥4-point reduction in Worst Itch Numeric Rating Scale (WI-NRS) from baseline at week 24 (PRIME) or week 12 (PRIME2). Key secondary endpoints included nodule number reduction to ≤5 at week 24. PRIME and PRIME2 enrolled 151 and 160 patients, respectively. Both trials met all the pre-specified primary and key secondary endpoints. A ≥4-point WI-NRS reduction at week 24 in the dupilumab and placebo arms was achieved by 60.0% and 18.4% of patients, respectively, in PRIME (95% confidence interval (CI), 27.8-57.7 for the difference, P < 0.001) and at week 12 by 37.2% and 22.0% of patients, respectively, in PRIME2 (95% CI, 2.3-31.2; P = 0.022). Dupilumab demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in itch and skin lesions versus placebo in PN. Safety was consistent with the known dupilumab safety profile.ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT04183335 and NCT04202679 .
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 37142763 · DOI · PMC10202800
Dupilumab in Inflammatory Skin Diseases: A Systematic Review [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Dupilumab was first approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and blocks the signaling of interleukin (IL)-4 and -13.
- Closing excerpt
- We found several reports for effective treatment of bullous autoimmune diseases, eczema, prurigo, alopecia areata, chronic spontaneous urticaria, Netherton syndrome and a variety of other chronic inflammatory skin diseases.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (152 words)
Dupilumab was first approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and blocks the signaling of interleukin (IL)-4 and -13. Several other chronic skin conditions share mechanistic overlaps with AD in their pathophysiology, i.e., are linked to type 2 inflammation. Most recently, dupilumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for prurigo nodularis (PN). Given its relatively good safety profile, effective off-label use of dupilumab has been reported for a multitude of dermatologic diseases and several clinical trials for dermatologic skin conditions are currently ongoing. We conducted a systematic review of applications of dupilumab in dermatology other than AD and PN by searching the databases PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Library as well as the clinical trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov. We found several reports for effective treatment of bullous autoimmune diseases, eczema, prurigo, alopecia areata, chronic spontaneous urticaria, Netherton syndrome and a variety of other chronic inflammatory skin diseases.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 37189381 · DOI · PMC10136243
Molecular mechanisms of pruritus in prurigo nodularis [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Pruritus is the most common symptom of dermatological disorders, and prurigo nodularis (PN) is notorious for intractable and severe itching.
- Closing excerpt
- Moreover, we provide a prospective outlook on potential therapies based on existing findings.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (140 words)
Pruritus is the most common symptom of dermatological disorders, and prurigo nodularis (PN) is notorious for intractable and severe itching. Conventional treatments often yield disappointing outcomes, significantly affecting patients' quality of life and psychological well-being. The pathogenesis of PN is associated with a self-sustained "itch-scratch" vicious cycle. Recent investigations of PN-related itch have partially revealed the intricate interactions within the cutaneous neuroimmune network; however, the underlying mechanism remains undetermined. Itch mediators play a key role in pruritus amplification in PN and understanding their action mechanism will undoubtedly lead to the development of novel targeted antipruritic agents. In this review, we describe a series of pruritogens and receptors involved in mediating itching in PN, including cytokines, neuropeptides, extracellular matrix proteins, vasculogenic substances, ion channels, and intracellular signaling pathways. Moreover, we provide a prospective outlook on potential therapies based on existing findings.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38077377 · DOI · PMC10701428
Somatic mutations reveal hyperactive Notch signaling in prurigo nodularis [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritic skin nodules of unknown etiology.
- Closing excerpt
- In characterizing the somatic landscape of PN, this study highlights the potential role of Notch pathway dysregulation in PN pathogenesis and fibrosis.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (199 words)
Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritic skin nodules of unknown etiology. Little is known about genetic changes in PN pathogenesis, particularly somatic events, which are often implicated in inflammatory conditions. We thus performed whole-exome sequencing on 54 lesional and nonlesional skin biopsies from 17 patients with PN and 10 patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) for comparison. Somatic mutational analysis revealed that PN lesional skin harbors recurrent somatic mutations in fibrotic, neurotropic, and cancer-associated genes that are absent in adjacent PN nonlesional skin. Nonsynonymous mutations were most frequently present in NOTCH1 and the Notch signaling pathway, a key regulator of cellular proliferation and tissue fibrosis. In contrast, NOTCH1 mutations were absent in AD. Somatic copy-number analysis, combined with expression data, identified recurrently deleted and downregulated genes in PN lesional skin, which are associated with axonal guidance and extension. Follow-up immunofluorescence validation demonstrated increased NOTCH1 expression in PN lesional skin fibroblasts and increased Notch signaling in PN lesional dermis. Finally, a multicenter analysis revealed increased risk of NOTCH1-associated diseases in patients with PN. In characterizing the somatic landscape of PN, this study highlights the potential role of Notch pathway dysregulation in PN pathogenesis and fibrosis.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42018657 · DOI · PMC13135409
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article European academy of dermatology and venereology European prurigo project: expert consensus on the definition, classification and terminology of chronic prurigo [5]
- Research article Prurigo nodularis: Pathogenesis and management [6]
- Research article Prurigo nodularis: Epidemiology and clinical features [7]
- Research article Practical approaches for diagnosis and management of prurigo nodularis: United States expert panel consensus [8]
- Research article Chronic Prurigo of Nodular Type: A Review [9]
- Research article Prurigo Nodularis and Its Management [10]
References
- Yosipovitch G, Mollanazar N, Ständer S, Kwatra SG, Kim BS, Laws E, et al.. Dupilumab in patients with prurigo nodularis: two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials. . 2023. PMID 37142763 · DOI · PMC10202800
- Olbrich H, Sadik CD, Ludwig RJ, Thaçi D, Boch K. Dupilumab in Inflammatory Skin Diseases: A Systematic Review. . 2023. PMID 37189381 · DOI · PMC10136243
- Shao Y, Wang D, Zhu Y, Xiao Z, Jin T, Peng L, et al.. Molecular mechanisms of pruritus in prurigo nodularis. . 2023. PMID 38077377 · DOI · PMC10701428
- Rajeh A, Shahsavari S, Cornman H, Kollhoff A, Gupta A, Szeto MD, et al.. Somatic mutations reveal hyperactive Notch signaling in prurigo nodularis. . 2026. PMID 42018657 · DOI · PMC13135409
- Pereira MP, Steinke S, Zeidler C, Forner C, Riepe C, Augustin M, et al.. European academy of dermatology and venereology European prurigo project: expert consensus on the definition, classification and terminology of chronic prurigo. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018. PMID 28857299 · DOI
- Williams KA, Huang AH, Belzberg M, Kwatra SG. Prurigo nodularis: Pathogenesis and management. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020. PMID 32461078 · DOI
- Huang AH, Williams KA, Kwatra SG. Prurigo nodularis: Epidemiology and clinical features. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020. PMID 32454098 · DOI
- Elmariah S, Kim B, Berger T, Chisolm S, Kwatra SG, Mollanazar N, et al.. Practical approaches for diagnosis and management of prurigo nodularis: United States expert panel consensus. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021. PMID 32682025 · DOI
- Zeidler C, Tsianakas A, Pereira M, Ständer H, Yosipovitch G, Ständer S. Chronic Prurigo of Nodular Type: A Review. Acta Derm Venereol. 2018. PMID 29135018 · DOI
- Zeidler C, Yosipovitch G, Ständer S. Prurigo Nodularis and Its Management. Dermatol Clin. 2018. PMID 29929592 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.