Hidradenitis suppurativa ups risk of adverse pregnancy, maternal outcomes

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is independently associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy and maternal outcomes, suggests a recent study. Comorbid conditions, which can be modified with early identification and management, affect such risk.

A retrospective cohort analysis was performed between 1 January 2011 and 30 September 2015 to compare the risk of adverse pregnancy and maternal outcomes among women with and without HS and to examine the impact of comorbidities.

HS compared with control pregnancies had a greater risk of spontaneous abortion (15.5 percent vs 11.3 percent), preterm birth (9.1 percent vs 6.7 percent), gestational diabetes mellitus (11.6 percent vs 8.4 percent), gestational hypertension (6.1 percent vs 4.4 percent), pre-eclampsia (6.6 percent vs 3.8 percent), and caesarean section (32.4 percent vs 27.1 percent).

Adjusting for comorbid conditions resulted in a reduction in the relative risk of some pregnancy and maternal outcomes.

In the fully adjusted model, HS pregnancies independently correlated with spontaneous abortion (odds ratio [OR], 1.20, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.38), gestational diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.26, 95 percent CI, 1.07–1.48), and caesarean section (OR, 1.09, 95 percent CI, 1.004–1.17).

The study had certain limitations. First, potential influences of disease duration, activity, or severity were not assessed. Second, the authors could not evaluate newborn outcomes.

“HS disproportionately affects women of childbearing age,” the authors noted.