Case Reports in Dermatology (Jan 2021)

A Case of Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy: Pathophysiology and Serum Cytokine Profile

  • Mai Ishikawa-Nishimura,
  • Makoto Kondo,
  • Yoshiaki Matsushima,
  • Koji Habe,
  • Keiichi Yamanaka

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1159/000511494
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 18 – 22

Abstract

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We report a case of pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) starting with target lesions on both forearms at the end of second pregnancy. The patient’s target lesions became generalized itchy edematous eczema lesions especially on her abdomen extended by pregnancy, which immediately disappeared postpartum. The mechanism PUPPP has not been elucidated so far; however, the typical target lesion was the initial phenotype in the current case. To approach the pathophysiology of PUPPP, we examined the cytokine profile in the patient’s serum before and after delivery. The upregulated Th2 cytokine profile including IL-9 and IL-33, and the reaction against skin-resident bacteria and fungus might be involved in PUPPP.

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