Progesterone autoimmune dermatitis with positive autologous serum skin test result.

BACKGROUND

Progesterone autoimmune dermatitis is a rare disease attributable to hypersensitivity to endogenous progesterone and characterized by cyclic dermatologic manifestations at the end of the luteal phase that disappear some days after menses.

CASE: A 35-year-old woman experienced cyclic premenstrual urticaria and angioedema occurring from 4 days before to 5 days after menses. The diagnosis of progesterone autoimmune dermatitis was made by a progesterone-positive skin test. Autologous serum skin test, using sera from estrogenic and luteal phases, also elicited a positive response. The patient became pregnant with near-clearance of the urticaria.

CONCLUSION

Skin tests with progesterone and autologous serum, which are easy to perform, convenient, and inexpensive, are highly useful for establishing the diagnosis of progesterone autoimmune dermatitis and ruling out other skin disorders.