1 Answers
Pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy is a skin condition that occurs in one in 3000 people, about 0.2% of cases, who are in their second to third trimester of pregnancy where the hair follicle becomes inflamed or infected, resulting in a pus filled bump. This pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy differs from typical pruritic folliculitis; in pregnancy, it is characterized by sterile hair follicles becoming inflamed mainly involving the trunk, contrasting how typical pruritic folliculitis is mainly localized on "the upper back, shoulders, and chest." This condition was first observed after there were a couple of individuals who showed signs of folliculitis that were different than seen before. The inflammation is thought to be caused by hormone imbalance, infection from bacteria, fungi, viruses or even an ingrown hair but there is no known definitive cause as of yet. These bumps usually begin on the belly and then spread to upper portions of the body as well as the thighs. This condition does not harm the fetus or the mother and usually resolves after delivery of the baby. The rate of incidence could possibly be higher but due to the unknown etiology of the condition, misdiagnosis, and varying levels of severity it is hard to tell. Pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy is currently classified as atopic eruption of pregnancy in a retrospective study done in 2006 that compared this condition to eczema and prurigo of pregnancy, which occured in 49.7% and 0.8% of cases respectively, with eczema clearly being more frequent. Unlike typical pruritic folliculitis which does not resolve on its own, pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy clears spontaneously on delivery or in postpartum period.
Currently, there are no treatment guidelines for this condition due to nature of its unknown etiology but symptom relief is strongly emphasized using non-pharmacological interventions such as, tepid baths or loose clothing. If itchiness and discomfort persist benzoyl peroxide, low to mid potency topical steroids, or antihistamines can be tried. Novel treatments have also shown potential in treating case studies of pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy, such as using ultraviolet phototherapy, but still requires further investigation into its efficacy and safety in second to third trimester pregnant patients.