A case of recurrent impetigo herpetiformis with a positive family history.

Impetigo herpetiformis is a rare non-infectious pustular dermatosis of pregnancy. A few non-gestational cases due to oral contraceptive use have also been reported. Although the disorder is not thought to have a genetic background, there are some familial case reports in the literature. We describe a case of recurrent impetigo herpetiformis in an 18-year-old pregnant woman who had normal serum calcium levels and responded well to prednisolone therapy. Interestingly, the patient's mother had also experienced a generalised pustular dermatosis associated with hypocalcaemia during oral contraceptive use, which was diagnosed clinically and histologically as impetigo herpetiformis.