Evaluation of Baricitinib in Pediatric Patients With Alopecia Areata

This study evaluated the off-label use of baricitinib in 17 pediatric patients with severe and refractory alopecia areata at a third-level pediatric hospital. The average age of participants was 12.2 years, and they were treated for an average of 36.91 weeks. Results showed that 50% of patients achieved the treatment goal of a SALT score ≤20, while 21.4% showed improvement without reaching the goal, 14.3% experienced no regrowth, and 14.3% saw a worsening of their condition. Although the treatment was generally well-tolerated, 42.86% of patients had abnormal lab results, and 71.43% were psychologically affected. The study concludes that baricitinib has shown debatable results, with some patients experiencing satisfactory outcomes and full recovery in certain cases.