Alopecia as a Consequence of Tacrolimus Therapy in Renal Transplantation

The document reported two cases of renal transplant recipients who experienced hair loss after being treated with tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug. In both cases, the patients were switched from tacrolimus to cyclosporine, another immunosuppressant, due to their concerns about hair loss. The first case involved a 26-year-old man who regained a full head of hair three years after the switch, while the second case involved a 37-year-old woman who began recovering hair growth six months after the change. The authors suggested that the hair loss was likely due to the steroid prednisolone, which was part of the immunosuppressive regimen, and that the switch to cyclosporine, despite its known side effect of hirsutism, was beneficial for these patients. This study highlighted the potential for tacrolimus to cause hair loss, a side effect not widely documented at the time.