Pregnant women with hidradenitis suppurativa at risk of adverse outcomes

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is independently associated with the risk of adverse pregnancy and maternal outcomes, a study has found. Comorbid conditions that may be modified with early identification and management influence such risk.

The authors conducted a retrospective cohort analysis 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.

A total of 1,862 HS and 64,218 control pregnancies were included in the analysis. HS pregnancies demonstrated a higher 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) than controls.

After adjusting for comorbidities, the relative risk of some pregnancy and maternal outcomes were attenuated. 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).

For the study limitations, the authors could not assess potential influences of disease duration, activity, or severity, as well as newborn outcomes.

HS disproportionately affects women of childbearing age, according to the authors.