[Etiology of isolated pruritus in dermatology consultations at Lome (Togo)].

A prospective study was conducted to determine the etiologies of isolated pruritus among out-patients attending a hospital dermatology clinic in Lome. Two hundred and twenty patients (120 men and 100 women) suffering from isolated pruritus were included in the study. The most frequent etiologies were; digestive parasitosis (n = 50), onchocercosis (n = 45), drug allergy (n = 26), food allergy (n = 10), psychological pruritus (n = 25) and hepatitis (n = 13). The etiology was not determined for 29 cases. This study shows the large contribution of parasites to the pathogenesis of pruritus in tropical Africa.