The aim of the study is to determine the clinical and anamnestic characteristics of pruritus in psoriasis, as well as to analyse the spectrum of psychopathological symptoms and their impact on the quality of life in this cohort of individuals.

Materials and methods. The main group included patients with psoriasis accompanied by pruritus of varying intensity (n = 15) and patients with dermatosis without active pruritus (n = 15). The severity of skin lesions, intensity of itching, psychopathological aspects, and their impact on quality of life were assessed using questionnaires and psychodiagnostic methods.

Results. The area of skin lesions in both groups was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI): for the main group, the median was 9.2 (7.5; 10.1), for the comparison group – 7.05 (5.95; 8.40), which demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). The intensity of pruritus assessed by visual analogue scale was significantly higher in the main group (mean 5.60 ± 0.21) compared to the comparison group (1.90 ± 0.27). Correlation analysis revealed that for patients with pruritus, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (r = 0.92, p < 0.05) play the greatest role in the psychopathological aspect of the disease, while in patients without pronounced itching, symptoms of interpersonal sensitivity dominated (r = 0.97, p < 0.05). The main group of patients with psoriatic skin lesions associated with pruritus demonstrated a moderate impact on their life activities with a median of 9.5 (9.5; 16.5). Those respondents with only dermatosis rated the impact on quality of life as slight discomfort – 3.0 (2.5; 5.5).

Conclusions. Patients with psoriasis accompanied by severe pruritus, with a predominance of plaque form, have a more severe course of dermatosis, which is manifested by a higher PASI compared to patients with psoriasis without active itching. The psychodiagnostic assessment demonstrates the greatest influence of the group of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the main group. The identified peculiarities of itching influence necessitate a better diagnosis of the pruriginous component and changes in approaches to personalized therapy for this group of patients.