Prurigo pigmentosa: could it be more common than it is thought in Turkey?

Background and Design: Prurigo pigmentosa (PP) is a common disease in Japan. Most reports other than those from Japan include Mediterranean countries. The aim of this report was to determine clinical and histopathologic features of seven cases seen in our outpatient clinics. Materials and Methods: Data that belong to 7 patients (6 female, 1 male), age range 18-41, who had been administered to outpatient clinics of Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Deparment of Dermatology, and Acibadem Hospital between 1998-2003, and had been diagnosed as PP clinically and histologically was retrospectively evaluated. Histopathologic findings were classified as suggested by Boer et al. Results: All patients complained about intense pruritus and pigmentation, and presented clinically with erythematous papules and reticular hyperpigmentation on the chest, back, and neck. Histopathological findings in all patients included features that belong to more than one stage. Conclusion: Although PP is accepted as a rare disease, when the patients presented here, and those previously reported from Turkey are taken into consideration, we suggest that PP might be more common than its supposed frequency in Turkey. The histopathological findings support that the disease has a quite dynamic process.