Effectiveness of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor,Citalopram (Cipralex), in Prurigo Nodularis

Hadassah Medical Center

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Prurigo Nodularis

Treatments: Drug: citalopram (cipralex)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00532519

horcoop-hmo-ctil

Details and patient eligibility

About

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a common dermatological disorder, manifested as scaly nodules which appear mainly on the extensor surfaces of the limbs. PN may appear secondarily to skin scratching in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, uremia, hypothyroidism etc. Nevertheless, in many cases no underlying physical disease is present. According to the literature, in fifty percent of the patients there is co-morbidity with depression, anxiety or somatoform disorders.

We hypothesize that a group of these patients may benefit from antidepressant therapy.

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• prurigo nodularis
• age: 18-70 years
• agreed to participate

Exclusion criteria

• younger than 18 or older than 70
• pregnant or lactating women
• chronic diseases: cancer, neurological disorders, diseases that are known to be associated with pruritus such as liver cirrhosis, uremia, etc.
• sensitivity to cipralotam
• psychosis, bi-polar disorder, substance addiction, use of antidepressant in the previous year
• use of systemic therapies to prurigo nodularis such as thalidomide, cyclosporine