Prurigo nodularis is an uncommon skin disease that is of unknown cause. As the name suggests, it is derived from two words: prurigo = itching, and nodularis = nodules. In this disease, one gets nodules on the skin which intense itching. Prurigo nodularis is understood to be an autoimmune disease.

Severe, unbearable itching is the major feature in the case of patients suffering from Prurigo nodularis.

Prurigo nodularis is a skin disease, especially found on forearms, legs, and neck. It can affect other areas as well. They are multiple nodular skin lesions with tiny open wounds due to intense itching. They are found in groups, which may vary from a few to a couple of hundreds.

It may appear as a small, red itchy bump about half an inch to about two centimeters in diameter, with crusting and scale in recently scratched lesions which then turn to darker and paler compared to the surrounding skin.

The skin between the nodules is usually dry with itching so intense that the patient keeps on scratching it for hours on end which sometimes leads to secondary infection.

Repetitive scratching, picking, and rubbing may lead to permanent changes to the skin like nodular thickening (lichenification), hyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation (dark pigmentation), and skin thickening in spots.