Dermoscopic Findings of Alopecia Areata in Dark-Skinned Individuals: An Analysis of 116 Cases
January 2014
in “
International Journal of Trichology
”
TLDR The study concluded that yellow dots are a common and useful sign for diagnosing alopecia areata in dark-skinned individuals and may indicate the severity of the condition.
The study examined dermoscopic features of alopecia areata (AA) in 116 dark-skinned Indian individuals, finding that these features were consistent with those reported in Western literature. Yellow dots (YDs) were particularly sensitive for diagnosing AA, appearing more frequently in Indian prepubertal patients than in Western counterparts. The study also found a higher number of YDs per field of vision (YD/FOV) in more severe cases of AA, although other dermoscopic features did not correlate with disease severity. The research suggested that the prevalence of YDs and the influence of local hair care practices, like oiling, could affect dermoscopic observations. The study proposed using YD/FOV as a potential measure for grading AA severity.
