Objective To analyze the distribution and characteristics of pruritus/itch literatures and understand the current research status, so as to provide evidence for future research on pruritus/itch. Methods Literatures on pruritus/itch since 1970 in PubMed database were analyzed by bibliometric tool-Thomson Data Analyzer. The distributions of year, nation, journal, author and current focus area on pruritus/itch were analyzed, and the author cooperation network diagram was plotted. Results The earliest literature of pruritus/itch was traced back to 1843, and the number of papers published during 1970 to 1980 was stable, but after that the number witnessed a steady increase annually. The United States and Germany played a leading role in the the papers of pruritus/itch. The numbers of papers from Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and France were also great. The top three journals that published the most papers of pruritus/itch were: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, British Journal of Dermatology and Archives of Dermatology. Professor Yosipovitch G from Wake Forest Medical Center(USA), professor Staender S from the Intensive Care Medicine and Anesthesiology Department, Maennedorf Regional Hospital (Germany) and professor Ring J from Allergy and Dermatology Department, University of Munich (Germany) were the top 3 authors who published the most papers on pruritus/itch. The research focuses in the field of pruritus/itch included diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion The United States and European countries are the main players in research of pruritus/itch. More Chinese research teams should join in the research on pruritus/itch. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of pruritus/itch are supposed to be the main future focus of pruritus/itch field.