Etiologies and Associated Factors of Generalised Pruritus <i>Sine Materia</i> in the Dermatology-Venerology Department of CHUD-Borgou/Alibori (Benin)

Introduction: The aim was to identify the etiologies of generalised pruritus sine materia and to determine the associated factors in Parakou. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted from January 2011 to June 2022. The patients included were of all ages and both sexes in whom the sine materia nature of the pruritus was noted after clinical examination. These patients had an etiological assessment available or not, complete or partial. For each patient, socio-demographic, socio-cultural, socio-economic and clinical data were collected using a pre-established survey form. They were then processed and analysed using Epi Data 3.1 and SPSS version 21 software respectively. Results: The incidence of generalised pruritus sine materia was 0.89% (73 cases/8214 consultants). The predominant etiologies were aquagenic pruritus (16.4%) and intestinal parasitosis (12.3%). After a bi-variate analysis, two risk factors were identified: frequency of towel change greater than 1 month (OR = 3.02; CI95% = 0.98 - 9.31; P = 0.0486) and use of cold water for bath (OR = 3.28; CI95% = 1.09 - 9.81; P = 0.0274). Conclusion: The etiologies and associated factors of generalised pruritus sine materia found in Parakou are varied but are linked to lifestyle. There is an urgent need to raise public awareness of the need to improve lifestyle in order to reduce the frequency of pruritus sine materia.