Chronic Pruritus and Connective Tissue Disorders: Review, Gaps, and Future Directions

Chronic itch is a common skin manifestation in many connective tissue diseases. However, the cause of chronic itch in these diseases is still not fully understood. The complex, and in some cases incomplete understanding of, pathogenesis in each condition makes it difficult to target specific mediators of chronic itch. It is important to better understand the pathophysiology of chronic itch in these conditions, as this information might provide a fuller understanding of the pathogenesis of the diseases in general and lead to the development of more specific treatments for connective tissue diseases in patients with chronic itch. We present a review of the literature on what is known about the prevalence, possible pathophysiology, and effect on quality of life of chronic itch in patients with scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and mixed connective tissue disease

Trachyonychia

The word trachyonychia means rough nails. Trachyonychia can present in opaque and shiny variants. This is referred to as opaque trachyonychia and shiny trachyonychia. The diagnosis of trachyonychia is clinical and a nail unit biopsy is not required Trachyonychia is a benign disease that may regress spontaneously. The most common causes of trachyonychia are alopecia areata, lichen planus, and psoriasis. A variety of treatment options exist, and the treatment should be conservative since this is a non-scarring condition