Pityriasis rosea does not affect pregnancy outcomes: Study

Austria: A new study conducted by Lena Wenger-Oehn and the team indicates that pityriasis rosea (PR) had no effect on pregnancy or birth outcome in the majority of instances (74%, 73/99). The findings of this study were published in the Journal of the German Society of Dermatology.

PR is a self-limiting rash that typically affects young adults between the ages of 15 and 35. Pityriasis rosea occurs once in a lifetime but can reoccur, is contagious, and is linked to other variables such as socioeconomic status. There is compelling evidence of an infectious origin, particularly for human herpesviruses (HHV) 6 and 7. As a result, this study was carried out to investigate the association between pityriasis rosea and pregnancy outcomes.

To investigate the incidence and risk factors for a poor pregnancy outcome following PR infection, data from 46 pregnant women with PR seen in the dermatological university clinic between 2003 and 2018 were reviewed and compared with patient data (n = 53) from previously published research.

The key findings of this study were as follows:

1. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (defined as miscarriage, early birth before week 37 of gestation, or birth weight 2,500 g) were considerably lower in our research group than in a pooled cohort derived from previously published studies.

2. The week of pregnancy at the commencement of PR was inversely related to an adverse result, according to an analysis of pooled data from our study and earlier investigations.

3. Furthermore, the length of PR, additional extracutaneous symptoms, and extensive rash distribution were all linked to an adverse outcome.

In conclusion, previous studies found a total abortion rate of 13% in pregnant women with PR, which is comparable to the general population or even lower, as indicated by data analysis from our study. However, if PR begins early in pregnancy, lasts for a long time, spreads extensively, and is accompanied by extracutaneous symptoms, the likelihood of a negative result increases. As a result, regular gynecological monitoring of pregnant women with PR is advised.

Reference:

Wenger-Oehn, L., Graier, T., Ambros- Rudolph, C., Müllegger, R., Bittighofer, C., Wolf, P. and Hofer, A. (2022), Pityriasis rosea in pregnancy: A case series and literature review. JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddg.14763