Erythema nodosum, estrogens, and pregnancy.

During the past ten years we have seen two or more episodes of erythema nodosum develop in five patients in association with either pregnancy or the ingestion of female hormones. No alternative causes of erythema nodosum were found in these patients. The occurrence of erythema nodosum in association with hormonal change suggests that female hormones can, under some circumstances, be directly responsible for development of the disease.