Pemphigus, myasthenia gravis, and pregnancy

A 27-year-old woman with active but stable myasthenia gravis developed pemphigus while she was pregnant. Therapeutic abortion performed for personal reasons was followed by clinical and serologic improvement in her immunobullous disease. Both autoimmune conditions, pemphigus and myasthenia gravis, may be adversely affected by pregnancy. As with another immunobullous disease, herpes gestationis (bullous pemphigoid of pregnancy), hormonal factors appear to induce pemphigus. Although myasthenia gravis and pemphigus have been reported during pregnancy, this is the first instance of coexisting myasthenia gravis and pemphigus in a pregnant woman.