Alopecia Universalis During Treatment with Leflunomide and Adalimumab: Case Report
April 2014
in “
Anais brasileiros de dermatologia/Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia
”
TLDR A patient lost all their hair while on rheumatoid arthritis medication.
This case report described a 66-year-old female patient with rheumatoid arthritis who developed alopecia universalis (AU) while being treated with adalimumab and leflunomide. Despite changing her medication to etanercept and discontinuing leflunomide, her condition did not improve until all anti-TNF drugs were stopped. After 18 months without these medications, she experienced significant hair regrowth. The report suggested a potential link between anti-TNF drugs and the onset of AU, highlighting the need for further investigation into the role of TNF-α and T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata.
