{"title":"When itching signals more: A case of chronic pruritus leading to cancer diagnosis","authors":"Christine E. Maloney, William B. Prince","doi":"10.1016/j.jemrpt.2025.100163","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Pruritus is a common complaint seen by emergency medicine physicians and carries a broad differential encompassing dermatologic, systemic, neurologic, and psychogenic etiologies.</div></div><div><h3>Case report</h3><div>A 16-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with two months of pruritus and rash. Prior diagnoses for her symptoms included atopic dermatitis, medication-induced tactile hallucinations, and scabies. Physical examination in the emergency department was notable for a firm supraclavicular lymph node and laboratory studies were notable for systemic inflammation. Biopsy revealed a new diagnosis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma.</div></div><div><h3>Why should an emergency physician be aware of this?</h3><div>Recognition of refractory chronic pruritus by frontline providers as a presenting symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma can prevent diagnostic delay.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73546,"journal":{"name":"JEM reports","volume":"4 2","pages":"Article 100163"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"JEM reports","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773232025000276","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Pruritus is a common complaint seen by emergency medicine physicians and carries a broad differential encompassing dermatologic, systemic, neurologic, and psychogenic etiologies.
Case report
A 16-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with two months of pruritus and rash. Prior diagnoses for her symptoms included atopic dermatitis, medication-induced tactile hallucinations, and scabies. Physical examination in the emergency department was notable for a firm supraclavicular lymph node and laboratory studies were notable for systemic inflammation. Biopsy revealed a new diagnosis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma.
Why should an emergency physician be aware of this?
Recognition of refractory chronic pruritus by frontline providers as a presenting symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma can prevent diagnostic delay.