title: Pemphigoid gestationis.
abstract: Pemphigoid gestationis is a rare autoimmune blistering disease of pregnancy. It is characterized by pruritic, urticarial plaques with the development of tense vesicles and bullae within the lesions. Pemphigoid gestationis has been associated with premature delivery, small-for-gestational-age infants. Recurrences with subsequent pregnancies are often more severe. Oral glucocorticoids are the mainstay of therapy. Differentiation of pemphigoid gestationis from pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy is essential because management and outcomes differ. In instances in which clinical diagnosis is difficult, direct immunofluorescence tests, immunoblots, or ELISA studies of anti-basement-membrane zone antibodies are useful in establishing the diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Phoebe D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ralston
authors.forename: Hideko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamino
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004155:Diphenhydramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D006559:Pemphigoid Gestationis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014221:Triamcinolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014221:Triamcinolone; D004155:Diphenhydramine; D005337:Fibrin; D011241:Prednisone