Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia in Black Men: A Case Series Highlighting Key Clinical Features

The document is a case series of three Black men diagnosed with Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA), a common form of hair loss in Black patients. The study emphasizes the importance of early and accurate diagnosis of CCCA, as it is often misdiagnosed as androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The patients presented with hair loss on the vertex scalp, and were diagnosed with CCCA based on clinical, trichoscopic, and histopathologic findings. The study suggests that high-tension hairstyling practices may potentially propagate inflammation and progression of the disease. It also highlights a key clinical feature of male CCCA, which is thinning on the vertex scalp with relative maintenance of the hairline. This can help differentiate CCCA from AGA in Black men. The authors call for more research to explore the clinical characteristics of CCCA and diagnostic outcomes in Black men.