{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T03:50:39Z","timestamp":1760241039225,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,15]],"date-time":"2019-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1573776000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The aims of this review are to analyze the current literature regarding the characteristics and pathophysiological mechanisms of itch in chronic wounds, to assess the impact on quality of life and delayed-healing, to focus on the best strategies of prevention and treatment, to highlight the importance of on-going research in order to fully understand the pathophysiology, and to improve the management of target therapies. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed using MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library. We included a total of 11 articles written in English with relevant information on the pathophysiology of itch in chronic wounds and on management strategies. Results: Itch in chronic wounds was found to be correlated with xerosis, larger wound areas, necrotic tissue and amount of exudate, peripheral tissue edema, sclerosis, granulation tissue, contact dermatitis, and bacterial burden, as well as with lower quality of life. Conclusions: Although there are several aspecific pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, there appears to be no validated prevention or management strategy for itch in chronic wounds. Further studies are needed to clarify the association and pathophysiology of itch in chronic wounds, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical treatments on perilesional skin to reduce itch, to characterize multidimensional sensations of itch in chronic wounds, to identify specific cytokine and chemokine expressions that are correlated to a tailored-based approach, and to develop practical guidelines.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicines6040112","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,15]],"date-time":"2019-11-15T11:24:32Z","timestamp":1573817072000},"page":"112","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Itch in Chronic Wounds: Pathophysiology, Impact, and Management"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Michela","family":"Iannone","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Agata","family":"Janowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Dini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Tonini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Teresa","family":"Oranges","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, Anna Meyer Children\u2019s University Hospital, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4127-0141","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Romanelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"573","DOI":"10.2340\/00015555-1599","article-title":"Itch Characteristics in Five Dermatoses: Non-atopic Eczema, Atopic Dermatitis, Urticaria, Psoriasis and Scabies","volume":"93","author":"Brenaut","year":"2013","journal-title":"Acta Derm. Venereol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.12968\/jowc.2005.14.2.26732","article-title":"Measuring the impact of venous leg ulcers on quality of life","volume":"14","author":"Hareendran","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"465","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1524-475X.2007.00253.x","article-title":"The venous leg ulcer quality of life (VLU-QoL) questionnaire: Development and psychometric validation","volume":"15","author":"Hareendran","year":"2007","journal-title":"Wound Repair Regen."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1097\/WON.0b013e318202c47a","article-title":"Itch: Association with chronic venous disease, pain, and quality of life","volume":"38","author":"Paul","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"28","article-title":"A cross-sectional study of chronic wound-related pain and itching","volume":"59","author":"Paul","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ostomy Wound Manage"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"320","DOI":"10.1097\/01.ASW.0000431203.64591.2f","article-title":"Characteristics of chronic wounds that itch","volume":"26","author":"Paul","year":"2013","journal-title":"Adv. Skin Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"501","DOI":"10.12968\/jowc.2013.22.9.501","article-title":"Wound pruritus: Prevalence, aetiology and treatment","volume":"22","author":"Upton","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.12968\/jowc.2014.23.6.291","article-title":"Psychological management of wound pruritus","volume":"23","author":"Upton","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S23","DOI":"10.12968\/jowc.2016.25.Sup9.S23","article-title":"Contact dermatitis in patients with chronic leg ulcers a common and neglected problem: A review 2000\u20132015","volume":"25","author":"Iannone","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Wound Care"},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"4","article-title":"Descriptors for Itch Related to Chronic Wounds","volume":"30","author":"Paul","year":"2018","journal-title":"Wounds"},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"17","article-title":"Itching for Knowledge About Wound and Scar Pruritus","volume":"30","author":"Parnell","year":"2018","journal-title":"Wounds"},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"1","article-title":"Why Do Wounds Itch?","volume":"30","author":"Lerner","year":"2018","journal-title":"Wounds"},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"126","article-title":"Wound bioburden and infection","volume":"Volume 1","author":"Baranoski","year":"2012","journal-title":"Wound Care Essentials: Practice Principles"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S1","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1524-475X.11.s2.1.x","article-title":"Wound bed preparation: A systematic approach to wound management","volume":"11","author":"Schultz","year":"2003","journal-title":"Wound Repair Regen."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"504","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2005.04.079","article-title":"Itch, pain, and burning sensation are common symptoms in mild to moderate chronic venous insufficiency with an impact on quality of life","volume":"53","author":"Duque","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1097\/01.WON.0000264827.80613.05","article-title":"Prevention and treatment of moisture-associated skin damage (maceration) in the periwound skin","volume":"34","author":"Gray","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.2340\/00015555-3164","article-title":"European S2k Guideline on Chronic Pruritus","volume":"99","author":"Weisshaar","year":"2019","journal-title":"Acta Derm. Venereol."}],"container-title":["Medicines"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2305-6320\/6\/4\/112\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T13:34:46Z","timestamp":1760189686000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2305-6320\/6\/4\/112"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,15]]},"references-count":17,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,12]]}},"alternative-id":["medicines6040112"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/medicines6040112","relation":{},"ISSN":["2305-6320"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2305-6320"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,15]]}}}