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Progesterone hypersensitivity: a cyclical history
  1. Rute Brás-Cruz,
  2. Filipa David,
  3. Rute Morais Ferreira and
  4. Cristina Rosário
  1. Internal Medicine, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Matosinhos, Portugal
  1. Correspondence to Dr Rute Brás-Cruz; rutebcruz{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Hypersensitivity reaction to progesterone is rare, with less than 200 cases reported. It occurs mainly in women in their third decade of life and can have a heterogeneous presentation (cutaneous and/or systemic), with temporal relation to serum levels of progesterone. Diagnosis is based on history and physical examination, supported by skin tests. We describe the case of a woman in her late 20s with pruritic erythema on the chest that manifested in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, with spontaneous resolution in less than 5 days, without secondary scarring. The histological diagnosis was non-specific, with evidence of interface dermatitis, but positive skin tests supported the diagnosis of autoimmune progesterone dermatitis. It is intended to alert to the manifestations of a pathology that is rare and difficult to diagnose but with a great impact on daily life.

  • Dermatology
  • Skin
  • Contraception

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Footnotes

  • Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms, and critical revision for important intellectual content: RB-C, FD, RMF. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: RB-C, FD, RMF, CR.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.