Self-Reported Alopecia in an Ethnically Diverse Lupus Cohort

April 2018 in “ Rheumatology ”

Arabella Waller, Bethan Goulden, Angéla Pákozdi, Myles Lewis, Ravindra Rajakariar, Andrea Cove‐Smith, Debasish Pyne

alopecia lupus cutaneous SLE anti-Ro antibodies rashes oral ulceration hair loss systemic lupus erythematosus SLE

TLDR Alopecia is common in lupus patients, causing significant anxiety and is linked to the disease itself.

The study investigated self-reported alopecia in a diverse cohort of 67 lupus patients, finding a high prevalence of 59.7%, predominantly among females. Alopecia was commonly described as a change in hair texture and volume over the entire scalp and was associated with other cutaneous SLE manifestations like rashes (62.5%) and oral ulceration (47.5%). The condition was linked to the presence of anti-Ro antibodies but not to age or ethnicity. Patients with alopecia experienced significant anxiety, with a mean stress score of 6.59. The findings suggested that alopecia in lupus patients was more likely disease-related rather than medication-related.

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