Symptoms:
This skin disorder leads to a scratch-itch cycle:
- It may begin with something that rubs, irritates, or scratches the skin, such as clothing.
- This causes the person to rub or scratch the affected area. Constant scratching causes the skin to thicken.
- The thickened skin itches, causing more scratching, which causes more thickening.
- The skin may become leathery and brownish in the affected area.
Symptoms include:
- Itching of the skin
- May be long-term (chronic)
- May be intense
- Increases with nervous tension, stress
- Skin lesion, patch, or plaque
- Commonly located on the ankle, wrist, neck, rectum/anal area, forearms, thighs, lower leg, back of the knee, inner elbow
- Exaggerated skin lines over the lesion
- Distinct borders to the lesion
- Becomes leathery in texture (lichenification)
- Darkened (hyperpigmented) or reddened skin
- Raw areas
- Scratch marks
- Scaling
Signs and tests:
The diagnosis is primarily based on the appearance of the skin and a history of chronic itching and scratching. A skin lesion biopsy may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.