Fig. 2.

Clinical classification in the management of chronic pruritus patients (1). As a first step, patients were grouped according to the clinical picture. Subsequent clinical, laboratory and radiological investigation enables categorization of patient concerning the underlying origin. If several diseases were found (e.g., dry skin and chronic renal insufficiency) the patient has a mixed (multifactorial) origin. If no causal disease is identified, the patient has a pruritus of unknown/undetermined origin (PUO).