Sowmya Kothamasu, Vinma Shetty, Farzana Najmuddin, Pradyumna R Bhandary, Narendra J Shetty.
A clinical study of pregnancy-induced dermatoses.
J Pak Assoc Derma Jan ;26(1):12-20.

Objective To document pregnancy-related dermatoses. Methods A hospital-based observational study was conducted in the dermatology outpatient department of a tertiary care institute. A total of 350 pregnant females were included in the study after taking informed consent. Detailed history including demographic data, chief complaints related to skin, presence of itching, skin lesions, onset in relation to duration of pregnancy, jaundice, vaginal discharge, past or family history of similar lesions, exacerbating factors, associated medical or skin disorders etc. was elicited and recorded. Relevant systemic examination and appropriate investigations were done to confirm diagnosis if required. In all cases with history of pruritus related to specific disorders of pregnancy, liver function tests were done. Data was analyzed using SPSS ver. 20. Results Most common physiological skin changes were pigmentary (98%) followed by striae distensae (76%), glandular changes (15.4%) and vascular (10%). Nail changes were observed in 7 (2%) females. 38 (11%) patients had pregnancy-induced dermatoses. Atopic eczema of pregnancy (49.7%) was the most common condition i.e. 19 patients out of 38 which includes eczema (31.5%), prurigo (13%) and pruritic folliculitis (3.1%). followed by polymorphic eruptions (5.2%) was the most common condition followed by atopic eruptions (19.1%), herpes gestationis and intrahepatic cholestasis were observed in one (2.6%) and two (5.3%) females, respectively. Conclusion Pregnant women are prone to suffer from a wide range of dermatological problems apart from the specific dermatoses of pregnancy. These pruritic dermatoses are unique to the gravid state. A detailed history and awareness of clinical presentation facilitate confirmation of the diagnosis and will direct the most appropriate laboratory evaluation in an effort to minimize maternal and fetal morbidity. In addition, monitoring of liver function deserves special consideration.

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