Alopecia in consultations in the dermatology department at Burkina Faso: epidemiologic, clinical, and etiologic aspects

The study conducted at the Yalgado Ouédrago University Teaching Hospital in Burkina Faso aimed to describe the epidemiologic, clinical, and etiologic aspects of alopecia. Over a two-year period, the study included all patients who consulted for alopecia, revealing a prevalence of 1.02%. The condition primarily affected young individuals, often students, and was generally asymptomatic with a progressive onset. Alopecia was diffuse in 13.20% of cases, and partial in another 13.20%, with 54.71% of cases showing a scarred or inflamed scalp. The most common causes identified were tinea (21 cases), alopecia areata (14 cases), keloid folliculitis (6 cases), androgenetic alopecia (4 cases), traction alopecia (4 cases), and cosmetic alopecia (2 cases). The study highlighted specific epidemiologic, clinical, and etiological characteristics of alopecia in the Black African population.