Liquid Nitrogen Cryotherapy vs. Betamethasone Lotion in the Management of Alopecia Areata

The study compared the effectiveness of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy and 0.1% betamethasone lotion in treating patchy alopecia areata (AA) in 40 patients with 120 recalcitrant patches. Each patient received both treatments on different lesions over 6 weeks, with follow-ups from weeks 2 to 14. The response rates were 88% for cryotherapy and 90% for betamethasone lotion, with no significant difference in improvement between the two treatments. Complete recovery was not achieved in any patient. The study concluded that liquid nitrogen cryotherapy could be a helpful treatment for AA.