Women with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have an increased risk for certain adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published online June 11 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Laura Fitzpatrick, M.D., from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell in Hempstead, New York, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort analysis between Jan. 1, 2011, and Sept. 30, 2015, to compare the risk for adverse pregnancy and maternal outcomes among women with and without HS.

The researchers found that the 1,862 HS pregnancies had an elevated risk for spontaneous abortion (15.5 versus 11.3 percent), preterm birth (9.1 versus 6.7 percent), gestational diabetes mellitus (11.6 versus 8.4 percent), gestational hypertension (6.1 versus 4.4 percent), preeclampsia (6.6 versus 3.8 percent), and cesarean section (32.4 versus 27.1 percent) compared with the 64,218 control pregnancies. After comorbidity adjustment, the relative risks of some pregnancy and maternal outcomes were attenuated. Independent associations were seen for HS pregnancies with spontaneous abortion, gestational diabetes mellitus, and cesarean section (odds ratios, 1.20, 1.26, and 1.09, respectively) in the fully adjusted model.

"These observations may guide dermatologists, obstetricians, and maternal fetal medicine specialists in counseling women with HS who are seeking to conceive, and otherwise in managing and closely monitoring those who are pregnant," the authors write. "Future directions include investigating mechanisms that underlie the observed increased risk of adverse outcomes as well as the potential impact that HS treatments may have on influencing magnitude of this risk."

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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