<unk>  is the phenomenon in which a stimulus applied in one region of the body is felt as an<unk>  or irritation in a different part of the body. The syndrome is relatively harmless, though it can be irritating, and healthy individuals can express symptoms. Stimuli range from a firm pressure applied to the skin – a scratch – to irritation or pulling on a hair follicle on the skin. The<unk>  sensation itself should not be painful; it is more of an irritating prickle leading to the compulsion to scratch the area. The stimulus and<unk>  are ipsilateral (the stimulus and the<unk>  occur on the same side of the body). Also, because scratching or putting pressure on the<unk>  does not cause the stimulus area to<unk> , the relationship between the stimulus and the<unk>  is unidirectional. The<unk> ing sensation is spontaneous and can cease with continued stimulation. There are two types of<unk> : normal and acquired (pathological). Normal mitempfindung is usually detected in early childhood and persists for the majority, if not the rest, of the individual’s life. Acquired or pathological mitempfindung is the effect of damage to the central nervous system and only lasts for a short period of time. Symptoms are variable among affected individuals, but it is widely accepted that the soles of the feet, palms, and the face are never affected by mitempfindung. There is no evidence of genetic influence on<unk> . There is a published study, however, that mentions an affected man whose children were also affected. Much is still unknown about the physiological mechanisms of the phenomenon, and no single theory is accepted. Research and information regarding mitempfindung is limited and dated. Most research on the topic was conducted in the late 19th century, and the most recent publications occurred in the late 1970s. A handful of studies were done in the early 1990s, but further data must be collected and interpreted before a thorough understanding of mitempfindung is reached.
Referred itch
Pain out of proportion
Baricity
Referred pain
Coolie itch
Body odor
Ground itch
Grain itch