Iron Deficiency and Pruritus: A Cross-Sectional Analysis to Assess Its Association and Relationship

BACKGROUND: As generalized pruritus can be a symptom of a systemic disease, iron deficiency may be the underlying internal cause of its symptoms. Because data on the relationship between iron deficiency and generalized chronic pruritus are limited, more research is needed to ensure proper diagnosis and management. AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of iron deficiency in patients with generalized chronic pruritus in the southeast region of Rajasthan and to assess the correlation of serum ferritin with iron deficiency variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational, analytical study was conducted among a total of 200 patients complaining of itching all across the body without any skin lesions for more than 6 weeks and enrolled in the outdoor and indoor Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology departments of the Government Medical College, Kota. The duration of the study experiment was 1 year from June 2018 to May 2019. RESULTS: Females (108; 54%) were more than males (92; 46%) with a ratio of 1.17:1. The mean age of the patients was 37.35 ± 13.56. S. ferritin was found to be below 15 g/L in 58 (29%) patients. Significant correlation was found between S. ferritin and hemoglobin, MCV, MCH, and MCHC, and the P value was <0.05. Maximum number of patients (70; 35%) achieved visual analog scale (VAS) scores between 4 and 9, followed by 50 (25%) patients obtaining scores >9. Similarly, a correlation was found between the VAS score and hemoglobin, MCV, MCH, and MCHC and a statistically significant P value was obtained. LIMITATIONS: The sample size was small in the study. The overall levels of iron and serum transferrin were not checked, keeping patients' compliance in mind. CONCLUSION: Although statistically significant results were found, limitations were also present in our study; so, further studies for proper diagnosis and management should be conducted in greater depth.