Diagnosis and Treatment of Alopecia Areata

    Young Lee
    Image of study
    TLDR The document says how to diagnose and treat hair loss from alopecia areata, but there's no cure and treatments vary.
    In 2016, a document outlined the diagnosis and treatment of alopecia areata (AA), a chronic autoimmune disease causing hair loss. AA has a 1.7% lifetime risk and is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Diagnosis is complex due to conditions with similar symptoms, but can be aided by patient history, hair pull tests, and skin biopsies or dermoscopy. There is no cure or preventive treatment for AA, and options vary based on age and severity of hair loss. Indicators of poor prognosis include atopy, other immune diseases, family history, early onset, and ophiasis pattern. Treatments range from topical steroids to cyclosporine, but recurrence cannot be prevented. Prognosis is generally better for those with limited scalp involvement but poorer for those with extensive hair loss, early-onset, and recurrent cases. The document serves as a guideline for clinicians in diagnosing and treating AA, emphasizing the importance of understanding the disease's pathophysiology, diagnosis challenges, and treatment strategies.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    14 / 14 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 1000+ results
      If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      community If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      in Research  821 upvotes 5 months ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

    Related Research

    5 / 5 results