Metabolic diseases and pregnancy.

The skin mirrors the hormonal metabolic and physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy. The metabolic effects are manifested primarily in accentuation of two disorders, porphyria cutanea tarda and acrodermatitis enteropathica. The former may be exacerbated, not only during pregnancy, but also during the post-partum period and with the intake of estrogen-containing birth control pills. Exacerbations of acrodermatitis enteropathica characteristically appear during pregnancy.