Progesterone dermatitis

Overview

Progesterone dermatitis, also known as autoimmune progesterone dermatitis (APD), is a rare immune-mediated condition in which the body develops an abnormal reaction to its own progesterone hormone or, less commonly, progesterone medications. The condition typically causes recurrent skin rashes or other skin eruptions that flare during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, when progesterone levels naturally rise, and often improve shortly after menstruation begins.

Common Symptoms

Hives (urticaria), itchy inflammation from eczema, swelling under the skin from angioedema, and anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction) may also occur.

Coexisting Diseases and Conditions

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) or erythema multiforme.

Risk Factors and Prevalence

APD most commonly occurs in females in their 30’s and risk increases with use of progesterone-only oral contraceptives.

Recent Research

Sources

Sources
1. Baptist, A. P., & Baldwin, J. L. (2004). Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis in a patient with endometriosis: Case report and review of the literature. Clinical and Molecular Allergy, 2(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-7961-2-10
2. Detrixhe, A., Nikkels, A. F., & Dezfoulian, B. (2017). Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 296(5), 1013–1014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4497-3
3. Macchi, G., Marchesi, G. F., & Quattrini, A. (1967). [New contributions to the study of efferent connections of the nuclei of the median intralaminar line of the thalamus. Bollettino della Societa italiana di biologia sperimentale, 43(21), 1414–1418.
4. You, H. R., Yun, S. J., Kim, S. J., Lee, S.-C., Won, Y. H., & Lee, J.-B. (2017). Three Cases of Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis. Annals of Dermatology, 29(4), 479–482. https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2017.29.4.479