6017/37 BMAS vol 20(4) 12/2002

Introduction Pruritus, which is restricted to segments of the body and unassociated with a rash, has been described in the literature under terms such as notalgia paraesthetica and brachioradial pruritus. Notalgia paraesthetica usually presents with pruritus around the shoulder blade area, and its dermatomal innervations are located between thoracic spinal nerves T2 and T6. Brachioradial pruritus affects the area of the upper arm and forearm with a presumptive dermatomal distribution of cervical spinal nerves C5 and C6. The pruritus is thought to be due to a sensory neuropathy but its exact pathogenesis remains illunderstood. The prevalence of the condition has never been determined but certain reports suggest it is a rare occurrence. Acupuncture has been used to treat skin conditions, but only one study has looked at treating pruritus as a symptom in this manner. The pruritus in this study was usually associated with a rash and auriculotherapy was the method of acupuncture treatment. This practice describes the clinical features of sixteen cases of pruritus unassociated with a rash involving different dermatomal segments, some of which cannot be encompassed under the diagnosis of notalgia paraesthetica or brachioradial pruritus. The study also looked at the effects of the use of acupuncture to treat this type of condition.