Scratch Marks
August 13th, 2017
Overview
Look For
- Scratch marks over the skin of the face, arms, chest or abdomen.
Significance
- An indicator that the patient has been pruritic; sometimes a sign of myeloproliferative disorder.
Causes of Pruritis
- Obstructive jaundice (bile acid deposition)
- Chronic kidney disease (urea deposition)
- Dermatoses - dry skin, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, lichen planus, ichthyosis
- Infection - herpes zoster, scabies, fungal infections
- Endocrine - hypothyroidism / hyperthyroidism
- Myeloproliferative disorders
- Pregnancy
- Neuropathic itch
- Psychogenic itch
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