Correspondence

A 59-year-old male patient with stage IV cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) experienced complete remission of his CTCL after 20 cycles of extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) and concurrent treatment with interferon alpha 2a (IFNα2a). Remarkably, during this treatment, he also observed partial regrowth of scalp hair in areas affected by androgenetic alopecia, male pattern type VII, which improved to a stable type V/VI alopecia after 17 cycles of ECP. The patient's hair regrowth was unexpected, as ECP is typically used to treat alopecia areata by suppressing T-lymphocyte attacks against follicle epithelium and has less effect on androgenetic baldness. The exact mechanism behind the hair regrowth is unknown, but it is suggested that the immune modulatory activity of ECP and the effects of IFNα2a on hair growth may have played a role. This case presents a potential new avenue for research into the effects of ECP and IFNα2a on androgenetic alopecia.