PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Vinod S Hegade
AU  - Stuart FW Kendrick
AU  - David EJ Jones
TI  - Drug treatment of pruritus in liver diseases
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.15-4-351
DP  - 2015 Aug 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 351--357
VI  - 15
IP  - 4
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/15/4/351.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/15/4/351.full
SO  - Clin Med2015 Aug 01; 15
AB  - Pruritus (itch) is a common complication of cholestatic liver diseases (CLD). It can be a distressing and debilitating symptom, causing significant impairment in quality of life. Treatment of pruritus in liver diseases can be challenging and requires specific management with early initiation and a step-wise approach using specific drugs. Clinical trials are ongoing with novel agents that demonstrate potential efficacy. Patients with cholestatic pruritus are likely to present to a variety of clinicians who would benefit from medical awareness of available treatment options. In this review, we outline the pharmaceutical agents currently used to treat cholestatic pruritus and provide the evidence base for targeted symptom control of itch in liver diseases. We also highlight recent developments in the pathophysiology of cholestatic pruritus and the emerging novel therapies.