Dermatoses of pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a period of profound endocrine and metabolic changes which are tolerated by the body for a relatively short time. During gestation both physiologic and pathologic changes can occur in the skin, nails, and hair shafts which should be recognized and appropriately managed by the dermatologist. These changes can conveniently be placed into five broad categories: (1) physiologic changes in skin and appendages caused principally by the hormonal milieu, (2) cutaneous tumors affected by pregnancy, (3) diseases specifically associated with pregnancy, (4) genital infections of perinatal importance, and (5) other dermatologic diseases influenced by pregnancy. A discussion of each of these topics reveals the vast spectrum of dermatologic disease seen in pregnancy and underscores the important role of the dermatologist in the care of pregnant patients.