Alopecia Areata and Alopecia Areata Incognita

July 2018 in “ Elsevier eBooks ”

Matilde Iorizzo, Antonella Tosti

Studysummary This research focuses on alopecia areata, highlighting the psychological impact, especially of its variant alopecia areata incognita, and provides diagnostic and treatment tips, but does not report specific results.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The document from 2019 describes Alopecia Areata (AA) as a common autoimmune hair loss condition with a lifetime risk of 1.7%, often starting before age 20. It can lead to patchy hair loss or total loss on the scalp and body. AA incognita is a diffuse form with a better prognosis. Diagnosis is mainly clinical, with dermoscopy and biopsy used for confirmation. Treatments include topical and intralesional steroids, with no guaranteed sustained remission. Intralesional steroid injections show effectiveness with a maximum of 20 mg per session over 6 months. Systemic steroids have a 60% effectiveness rate in acute cases but are not ideal for long-term use in children due to side effects. Topical immunotherapy is effective in 50% of children and long-standing cases, while anthralin cream has a 25% success rate for cosmetically acceptable hair regrowth. Phototherapy and laser therapy have questionable long-term effectiveness. Other treatments like oral cyclosporine, methotrexate, and JAK inhibitors show variable results, with JAK inhibitors being promising but still under investigation for long-term use and side effects. Subcutaneous low-dose IL2 improved 80% of longstanding AAU cases, and ruxolitinib cream has been successful for eyebrow regrowth.

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research Treatment of Alopecia Areata with Simvastatin and Ezetimibe

21 citations , December 2017 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings”

This study suggests that statins may help treat acute alopecia areata, with animal experiments showing increased regulatory T cell populations after statin treatment in mice with the condition.

research Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Dermatology: A Systematic Review

116 citations , February 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This systematic review found that Janus kinase inhibitors have shown beneficial effects for psoriasis and alopecia areata, with promising preliminary results in other skin conditions, though more research is needed to define dosing and safety profiles.

research Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata and Variants: A Study of 90 Patients

238 citations , November 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, tofacitinib was reported to improve scalp hair regrowth in patients with severe alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis, showing a higher response in alopecia areata.

research Oral Ruxolitinib Induces Hair Regrowth in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata

196 citations , September 2016 in “JCI insight”

This study explored the effectiveness of the oral JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in treating patients with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata, building on prior success with JAK inhibitors in mice, but results are not reported in this abstract.

research Clinical and Trichoscopic Characteristics of Temporal Triangular Alopecia: A Multicenter Study

32 citations , August 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This letter discusses congenital triangular alopecia (TTA), a non-scarring hair loss condition often seen in children, without reporting new clinical findings.

research ULBP3: A Marker for Alopecia Areata Incognita

15 citations , May 2016 in “Archives of Dermatological Research”

This study found significantly higher levels of the protein ULBP3 in patients with alopecia areata incognita compared to other hair loss conditions and healthy controls, suggesting ULBP3's potential as a diagnostic marker for AAI.

research Pulse Corticosteroid Therapy With Oral Dexamethasone for the Treatment of Adult Alopecia Totalis and Universalis

31 citations , April 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Oral dexamethasone may help regrow hair in adults with alopecia totalis and universalis.

research Topical Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Universalis

96 citations , December 2015 in “JAMA dermatology”

This article discusses the potential of topical ruxolitinib as a treatment for alopecia universalis and acknowledges the need for alternatives to systemic JAK inhibitors due to the risk of serious side effects.

research Benefit of Different Concentrations of Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide in Alopecia Areata: An Intrasubject Pilot Study

50 citations , July 2015 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that 2.5 mg/mL triamcinolone acetonide injections were as effective as higher doses for treating limited, patchy alopecia areata, while minimizing side effects like skin atrophy.

research Alopecia Areata Update

19 citations , June 2015 in “Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery”

This review discusses the clinical presentation, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment options for alopecia areata and reports no new clinical findings.

research Reversal of Alopecia Areata Following Treatment With the JAK1/2 Inhibitor Baricitinib

184 citations , February 2015 in “EBioMedicine”

This study observed that baricitinib treatment led to significant improvement in a patient's alopecia areata symptoms and suggests further clinical trials to explore its potential as a treatment.

research Alopecia Areata Is Driven by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Is Reversed by JAK Inhibition

701 citations , August 2014 in “Nature medicine”

This study found that JAK inhibitors promote hair regrowth in both mice and human alopecia areata cases by blocking key immune pathways involved in disease development.

research Excimer Laser: A Module of the Alopecia Areata Common Protocol

17 citations , December 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings”

The excimer laser may help hair regrow in alopecia areata patients.

research British Association of Dermatologists’ Guidelines for the Management of Alopecia Areata 2012

218 citations , April 2012 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This updated guideline from the British Association of Dermatologists discusses current recommendations for managing alopecia areata but reports no new clinical research findings.

research Alopecia Areata: An Autoimmune Disease Causing Hair Loss

421 citations , April 2012 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition causing hair loss with no cure and treatments that often don't work well.

research Hair and Scalp Dermatoscopy

245 citations , March 2012 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This review discusses the dermoscopic features of common hair and scalp disorders and reports no new clinical results, aiming to assist dermatologists in diagnosing conditions like tinea capitis and alopecia areata.

research Histopathologic Features of Alopecia Areata Incognito: A Review of 46 Cases

34 citations , February 2012 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology”

This research retrospectively evaluated 92 skin specimens to propose histopathological criteria for diagnosing alopecia areata incognito, distinguishing it from telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia.

research Follicular Swiss Cheese Pattern: Another Histopathologic Clue to Alopecia Areata

35 citations , November 2010 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology”

This study reported that dilated follicular infundibula are a highly useful histopathologic criterion for diagnosing alopecia areata, particularly during its recovery stage.

research Genome-Wide Association Study in Alopecia Areata Implicates Both Innate and Adaptive Immunity

717 citations , June 2010 in “Nature”

This study identified key genetic regions associated with alopecia areata, highlighting both acquired and innate immune involvement, with a novel link to the upregulation of ULBP ligands in autoimmune disease.

research Alopecia Areata Update

391 citations , January 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This article reviews the clinical presentation and histopathologic features of alopecia areata and proposes a hypothesis for its development, but it reports no new clinical results.

research Topical Immunotherapy in Alopecia Areata

45 citations , January 2010 in “International journal of trichology”

This review examines topical immunotherapy for severe alopecia areata, noting that diphencyprone and squaric acid dibutylester are non-mutagenic options with similar efficacy but different practical considerations, and reports no new clinical results.

research Alopecia Areata Incognita: A Hypothesis

60 citations , October 2009 in “Dermatology”

This article proposes a hypothesis for alopecia areata hair loss patterns and provides epidemiological evidence supporting distinct hair loss characteristics between general cases and those with androgenetic alopecia; it presents no new clinical results.

research Clinical Significance of Dermoscopy in Alopecia Areata: Analysis of 300 Cases

196 citations , June 2008 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that dermoscopic indicators like black dots and tapering hairs are valuable markers for diagnosing and assessing the severity and activity of alopecia areata in Asian patients.

research The Role of Scalp Dermoscopy in the Diagnosis of Alopecia Areata Incognita

150 citations , April 2008 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that videodermoscopy reveals distinct dermoscopic features in patients with alopecia areata incognita, aiding in biopsy decisions by identifying the appropriate sampling area and potentially avoiding unnecessary procedures.

research Clobetasol Propionate 0.05% Under Occlusion in the Treatment of Alopecia Totalis/Universalis

146 citations , July 2003 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, clobetasol propionate 0.05% ointment was found to induce hair regrowth in 28.5% of patients with severe alopecia areata under occlusive conditions, though long-term benefit was limited to 17.8%.

research Efficacy of Topical Sensitizers in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

132 citations , November 1998 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This review evaluates the efficacy and safety of topical sensitizers in treating alopecia areata but reports no new clinical findings.

research Pulsed Administration of Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

117 citations , February 1996 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that monthly oral prednisolone pulses of 300 mg were effective and safe for treating widespread alopecia areata, with 58.3% of patients achieving cosmetically acceptable hair growth.

research PUVA Treatment of Alopecia Areata Partialis, Totalis, and Universalis: Audit of 10 Years' Experience at St John's Institute of Dermatology

105 citations , December 1995 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

This retrospective study concluded that PUVA treatment is generally ineffective for alopecia areata, with low effective success rates for partialis, totalis, and universalis types.