[Physiological cutaneous signs in normal pregnancy: a study of 60 pregnant women]

Abstract

We made a prospective study of 60 pregnant women from February 1992 to July 1992. Women with pathologic pregnancies were excluded. Fifty-one women had pigmentary changes; the most frequent was linea nigra in 45. Melasma was observed in 3 women only, and the other local melanosis were rare. Vascular changes appeared in 50 women and vascular spiders in 32. Only one vascular spider was seen on a leg; all the others were on the upper part of the body. Eighteen women had a palmar erythema. New striae distensae appeared in 37 women, the more often on the abdomen. Among the other non classified skin changes, acne appeared in 14 women, oedemas of the legs in 22, oedemas of the eyelids in 3 and molluscum fibrosum gravidarum in 4. We emphasize that skin changes are a frequent and polymorphous feature in pregnancy.