Viral-Induced Rapidly Progressive Alopecia Universalis: A Case Report and Literature Review

April 2023 in “ Curēus ”

Manar A Alotaibi, Afrah Altaymani, Abdullah Al‐Omair, Waleed Alghamdi

alopecia areata autoimmune hair loss COVID-19 non-scarring hair loss

Studysummary This report details a case of severe alopecia areata developing one month after COVID-19 infection in a 20-year-old woman, suggesting a possible connection between COVID-19 and the condition's onset. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This case report describes a 20-year-old woman who developed severe and progressive alopecia areata, a non-scarring autoimmune hair loss condition, one month after contracting COVID-19. The study aimed to review the literature on the association between COVID-19 and the onset, aggravation, or recurrence of alopecia areata, focusing on the timeline and clinical presentation of such cases. The case highlights a potential link between COVID-19 infection and rapidly progressive alopecia areata, suggesting that the virus may trigger or exacerbate this autoimmune condition.

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Research cited in this study

8 / 8 results

research Spontaneous Complete Resolution of Alopecia Totalis Post SARS-CoV-2 Infection

1 citations , August 2022 in “JAAD Case Reports”

A woman's complete hair loss condition improved after recovering from COVID-19.

research Not Just Thinning: A Case of Alopecia Universalis After Mild COVID-19

2 citations , May 2022 in “JAAD Case Reports”

This review discusses the onset and characteristics of telogen effluvium following SARS-CoV-2 infection, implicating stress, cytokine release, or viral damage, and reports no new clinical results.

research Association Between Alopecia Areata and COVID-19: A Systematic Review

7 citations , February 2022 in “JAAD International”

This review suggests that alopecia areata may occur as a dermatologic manifestation of COVID-19, often appearing 1 to 2 months after infection; further research is needed to clarify this association.

research New Onset of Alopecia Areata in a Patient with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Possible Pathogenetic Correlations

32 citations , March 2021 in “Journal of cosmetic dermatology (Print)”

This letter to the editor discusses a potential link between new onset alopecia areata and SARS-CoV-2 infection, but reports no new clinical results.

research Rapidly Progressive Alopecia Areata Totalis in a COVID-19 Patient, Unresponsive to Tofacitinib

14 citations , February 2021 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

This article reports a case of rapidly progressive alopecia areata totalis in a COVID-19 patient that did not respond to treatment with tofacitinib; no new clinical results are discussed.

research Alopecia Areata: A Review of Disease Pathogenesis

191 citations , May 2018 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

This study reviewed recent theories on alopecia areata's pathogenesis, highlighting its autoimmune nature due to immune privilege disruption in hair follicles, and noted current treatments have limited efficacy with high relapse rates, underscoring the need for further research into its mechanisms for better therapies.

research Evaluation of the Relationship Between Alopecia Areata and Viral Antigen Exposure

19 citations , August 2017 in “American journal of clinical dermatology”

This analysis reports that hepatitis B surface protein antigen exposure is associated with an increased risk of alopecia areata.

research Alopecia Areata Possibly Induced by Autoimmune Reaction in a Patient with Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus-1-Associated Myelopathy

6 citations , May 2013 in “The Journal of Dermatology”

This case study suggests that autoimmunity involving cytotoxic CD8+ T cells may link alopecia areata and human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1-associated myelopathy in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma patients.