Bullous pemphigoid of pregnancy: clinical picture, diagnostics, treatment

Pregnancy is a particular period in womans life. It accompanies with plenty of adaptation changes include many on skin. Pathological morphofunctional changes form a group of pregnancy-specific dermatoses. The clinical case of bullous pemphigoid of pregnancy is presented in the article. The disease occurs during pregnancy or postpartum period. The incidence is estimated to be approximately 1 in 60,000 pregnancies. Clinically, PG is characterized by intense pruritus and polymorphic skin eruptions. Skin lesions develop including erythematous patches and plaques, followed by urticarial rash and blisters. Diagnosis of the disease is based on the features of the clinical picture, complex data of pathomorphological and immunological research methods, including direct or indirect immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunohistochemical determination of a fragment of the complement component C4d and determination of serum antibodies to BP180. The most effective treatment is systemic glucocorticosteroids in combination with topical steroids and/or antihistamines. Timely diagnosing and prescribing appropriate medication are highly important in preventing intrauterine fetal suffering.