Apremilast for Lichen Planopilaris and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Case Series

June 2017 in “ Skin ”

Ali Hadi, Mark Lebwohl

apremilast lichen planopilaris frontal fibrosing alopecia intralesional steroids anti-malarials oral anti-inflammatory agents

Studysummary This study is the first to report that apremilast may be effective in treating refractory lichen planopilaris and frontal fibrosing alopecia, though some patients experienced adverse effects leading to discontinuation. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This retrospective case series analyzed the outcomes of four female patients with refractory lichen planopilaris or frontal fibrosing alopecia treated with apremilast. All patients had previously failed multiple treatments, including intralesional steroids, anti-malarials, and oral anti-inflammatory agents. Despite two patients discontinuing apremilast due to gastrointestinal discomfort, clinical improvement was observed in all cases. This study suggested that apremilast could be a potential treatment option for these conditions when other treatments have failed.

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Research cited in this study

3 / 3 results

research The Use of Oral Pioglitazone in the Treatment of Lichen Planopilaris

58 citations , January 2015 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Pioglitazone may help treat lichen planopilaris, but more research is needed.

research A Case Series of 46 Patients With Lichen Planopilaris: Demographics, Clinical Evaluation, and Treatment Experience

47 citations , June 2014 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment”

This retrospective review found that while intralesional corticosteroids provided symptomatic improvement for lichen planopilaris, hydroxychloroquine with topical corticosteroids led to higher remission rates but did not result in visible hair regrowth.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Multicenter Review of 355 Patients

339 citations , February 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that eyelash loss, facial papules, and body hair involvement were linked to severe frontal fibrosing alopecia, and antiandrogens were the most effective treatment.