Herpes gestationis: A new assessment of incidence, diagnosis, and fetal prognosis

Herpes gestationis is an uncommon cutaneous complication of pregnancy infrequently reported in the literature. In the present study, 2 cases were found in 112,769 deliveries at two university hospitals. The etiology of this disease is unknown, but a hormonal mechanism may be involved. There is no evidence of a viral agent and the name herpes gestationis is a misnomer. The onset of the characteristic vesicobullous dermatitis is most frequently in the second trimester of pregnancy and the eruption clears or decreases markedly in severity within 3months post partum. Response to treatment with a wide variety of agents is variable, but both the maternal and fetal prognoses are good. The frequently reported association between maternal herpes gestationis and a high rate of abortion, stillbirth, and fetal anomalies cannot be substantiated by a review of the literature nor the 3 cases presented.