Sutherland AD, Faragher IG, Frizelle FA.
Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Colorectal Dis 2009;11:282–7.
Editor’s note: Pruritus ani is a common perianal condition that may be refractory to conventional care, which includes advice on perineal hygiene and the use of topical steroids to break the cycle of irritation and trauma. The authors of the present study, conducted in a single center in New Zealand (Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch), report the use of a local intradermal injection of methylene blue to the perianal skin – which causes a permanent decrease in sensation – for the treatment of refractory pruritus ani.