BH20: A Multicentre Analysis of the Adequacy of Alopecia Horizontal Biopsy Samples Over 10 Years

This retrospective study analyzed 493 alopecia biopsy samples over 10 years from three London hospitals to assess diagnostic adequacy. Of these, 136 cases (27.6%) were identified as either scarring or nonscarring alopecia, with a predominance of nonscarring cases (57%). The study found that longer disease duration correlated with lower diagnostic yield, and technical issues such as suboptimal punch diameter and embedding errors affected results. The study recommends using standardized request forms with detailed clinical data, avoiding biopsies for very early or late-onset disease, and incorporating follicular analysis tables in reports. Future integration of digital pathology and AI may enhance diagnostic accuracy.