Pruritus and brain tumours: A prospective and descriptive study

BACKGROUND: Pruritus, especially localised to the nostrils, has been reported as a specific sign of brain tumours. OBJECTIVES: The main goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pruritus in a group of patients with brain tumours. The second outcome was to better characterise this pruritus with a specific questionnaire and a skin examination. METHODS: From June 2020 to September 2021, all patients with a diagnosis of brain tumour were included in this prospective, monocentric study. If the patient suffered from pruritus, a dermatological examination was performed. RESULTS: Two hundred patients with brain tumours were included. Thirty‐five of them suffered from pruritus (17.5%). Among them, 15 patients did not present with any skin disease, and 8 could have neuropathic pruritus according to the NP5 questionnaire. No patients presented with pruritus of the nostrils. DISCUSSION: This study did not show clear evidence of specifically localised pruritus induced by brain tumours. CONCLUSION: Pruritus observed in patients with brain tumours seems not to be caused by the brain malignancies in most cases. The specific localization to the nostrils cannot be considered a specific marker.