Cicatricial Alopecia Secondary to Radiation Therapy: Case Report and Review of the Literature

February 2008 in “ PubMed ”

Gregg A Severs, Thomas D. Griffin, Maria Werner‐Wasik

cicatricial alopecia radiation therapy intracranial malignancies hair follicles alopecia histopathology clinical scarring dermal fibrosis hair transplantation

Studysummary This article reviews radiation-induced cicatricial alopecia and suggests that controlling radiation dose depth could potentially prevent this condition.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer ·

The document discussed cicatricial alopecia resulting from high-dose radiation therapy (RT) used to treat intracranial malignancies, which can permanently destroy hair follicles and lead to permanent alopecia. A case was reported where radiation-induced cicatricial alopecia was confirmed by histopathology without obvious clinical scarring or dermal fibrosis, making the patient a good candidate for hair transplantation. The study suggested that if the radiation dose is kept under 16 Gy at a depth of 5 mm, the incidence of radiation-induced cicatricial alopecia could be avoided or significantly reduced.

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