Prurigo Nodularis paTient Reported burdEn of sicKness in Europe (PN TREK Europe): a cross-sectional survey of patient-reported burden of disease in patients with PN from four countries in Europe
Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2026
Objectives
Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic skin condition characterized by itchy nodules. Understanding the comprehensive patient perspective is essential for guiding treatment strategies. This study evaluated PN disease burden, and satisfaction with non-biologic therapies in France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in adult patients with a self-reported diagnosis of PN. Disease burden was evaluated using worst itch numeric rating scale (WI-NRS; 0-10, higher indicates more severe), non-itch skin symptoms, EQ-5D-5L, Dermatology Life Quality Index, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment.
Results
The survey included 165 patients with 67.3%, 30.3%, and 2.4% reporting a WI-NRS score of ≥7, 3-6, and 0-2, respectively. Less than half (45.5%) reported satisfaction with non-biologic treatments. Patients with WI-NRS ≥7 (vs. 3-6) experienced significantly more severe non-itch skin symptoms, and greater negative impacts on health-related quality of life and productivity.
Conclusion
Disease burden was high and satisfaction with non-biologic treatments was low. Patient-reported number of nodules did not strongly correlate with burden, suggesting that mild disease can induce high burden. Therefore, all aspects of disease should be considered to improve clinical management of PN.
Authors
Ständer S, Yang M, Martins B, Liu J, Zion A, Bosman K, Zahn J, Thomas RB, Bahloul D