Alopecia Areata: Clinical Review and Treatment Approaches

March 2000 in “ American Journal of Clinical Dermatology ”

Anthony J. Papadopoulos, Robert A. Schwartz, Camilakrysicka Janniger

Alopecia Areata autoimmune T lymphocytes HLA class II alleles corticosteroids minoxidil topical sensitizers SADBE DPCP dermatitis lymphadenopathy genetic therapies immunologic therapies Rogaine

TLDR Alopecia Areata has no guaranteed treatment for hair regrowth, but options like corticosteroids and minoxidil are used, with future research focusing on genetic and immune therapies.

The document from March 2000 reviewed Alopecia Areata, a condition affecting about 2% of the US population, with an autoimmune etiology involving T lymphocytes and certain HLA class II alleles. Diagnosis is mainly clinical, with treatments aimed at hair regrowth, including corticosteroids, minoxidil, and topical sensitizers like SADBE and DPCP. SADBE was reported to have an 80% regrowth rate in mild cases and 49% in severe cases, while DPCP showed a 50.4% success rate in 139 patients with severe alopecia areata. Side effects such as dermatitis and lymphadenopathy were noted. The condition can lead to psychiatric comorbidities due to its unpredictable nature, and while various treatments exist, there is no guaranteed therapy for cosmetically acceptable hair regrowth, necessitating an individualized and maintained treatment approach. Future research may explore genetic and immunologic therapies.

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14 / 14 results

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