Notalgia paresthetica

Notalgia paresthetica is a common, although under-recognized condition characterized by localized chronic pruritus in the upper back, most often affecting middle-aged women. Apart from pruritus, patients may present with a burning or cold sensation, tingling, surface numbness, tenderness and foreign body sensation. Additionally, patients often present with hyperpigmented skin at the site of symptoms. The etiology of this condition is still poorly understood, although a number of hypotheses have been described. It is widely accepted that notalgia paresthetica is a sensory neuropathy caused by alteration and damage to posterior rami of thoracic spinal nerves T2 through T6. To date, no well-defined treatment has been found, although many treatment modalities have been reported with varying success, usually providing only temporary relief.Notalgia paresthetica je učestalo, iako slabo prepoznato stanje koje obilježava lokalizirani kronični pruritus gornjeg dijela leđa, a najčešće se javlja u žena srednje životne dobi. Uz svrbež u bolesnika se također može javiti osjećaj žarenja ili hladnoće, trnci, utrnulost, osjetljivost i osjećaj stranog tijela. Uz to, na mjestu simptoma često se javlja područje hiperpigmentirane kože. Iako postoji više hipoteza, etiologija ove bolesti slabo je poznata. Opće je prihvaćeno da je notalgia paresthetica senzorna neuropatija uzrokovana oštećenjem stražnjih ogranaka torakalnih kralježničnih živaca od T2 do T6. Unatoč mnogim različitim terapijskim metodama koje su bile promjenjivoga uspjeha i najčešće pružale privremeno olakšanje, do danas nema uspješnoga liječenja ove bolesti