Prevalence of Prurigo Nodularis in Poland

Abstract

Prurigo nodularis is a chronic skin condition that pre-sents significant challenges for treatment and quality of life, with little known about disease prevalence. This study assessed the prevalence of prurigo nodularis in Poland using publicly maintained database case records and diagnostic codes for prurigo nodularis (L28.1) and other prurigo (L28.2). For the period 2016–18, the prevalence of prurigo nodularis increased from 5.82 to 6.52 cases per 100,000 population. The total prevalence of all prurigo diagnoses over the same period remai-ned relatively stable, with a small increase from 9.04 to 9.26 cases per 100,000 population. Regional data largely followed the overall trend. In an analysis of 58 prurigo nodularis cases identified at the Department of Dermatology at the University of Rzeszów, 43.1% of patients were initially misdiagnosed by the referring physician. Thus, more than one-third of patients with prurigo nodularis may initially be misdiagnosed.