Pemphigus vulgaris in pregnancy: eight case reports / 中华皮肤科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) on pregnancy,childbirth and neonates.Methods Clinical data were collected from 8 pregnant patients with PV who visited the Peking University First Hospital and received follow up.Results Of these patients one developed PV in the third trimester of pregnancy,and the other 7 received treatment for PV and achieved complete subsidence of mucocutaneous lesions before pregnancy.Among the 7 cases,6 were treated with prednisone ＜ 10 mg/d,and 1 was treated with prednisone 22.5 mg/d.Finally,1 patient was lost to follow-up,1 patient underwent artificial abortion on about day 40 of pregnancy with no fluctuation in disease activity.Six patients delivered a normal birth weight baby at term,of whom,1 experienced fluctuation in disease activity in mid-pregnancy,1 suffered from recurrence of PV as a result of drug withdrawal at 2 months after delivery,and the other 4 showed no changes in disease activity.Four out of six neonates were healthy,while two were born with neonatal PV and healed after topical treatment.Conclusions Safe pregnancy and delivery can be achieved in patients with PV whose condition is completely under control with lowdose glucocorticoids after withdrawal of immunosuppressive agents.Although there is a risk of PV in neonates,the prognosis is optimistic.