Dermatoses of pregnancy

Pregnancy is accompanied with physiological alterations and restructuring processes of the female body. These include endocrinological, immunological, metabolic and vascular processes. However, most skin eruptions diagnosed in pregnant women are unrelated to pregnancy. This article covers the recently reclassified, few, rare and pruritic skin diseases exclusively present in pregnant women: Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and pemphigoid gestationis (PG). Atopic dermatitis is not specific to pregnancy, but is the most frequently diagnosed pruritic skin disease during pregnancy. As this disease may occur during pregnancy for the first time, we have included it in this article. Recently described diagnostic algorithms have simplified the classification of the dermatosis of pregnancy also for the non-dermatologist. Since there are many differential diagnoses of rash in pregnant women, a dermatologist should be consulted for the diagnosis and treatment of all pruritic skin manifestations occurring during pregnancy.