Diffuse Variants of Scalp Lichen Planopilaris: Clinical, Trichoscopic, and Histopathologic Features of 40 Patients

November 2019 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”

Michela Starace, Gloria Orlando, Aurora Alessandrini, Carlotta Baraldi, Francesca Bruni, Bianca Maria Piraccini

lichen planopilaris diffuse hair thinning fibrosing alopecia cicatricial pattern hair loss scalp erythema

TLDR A new variant of lichen planopilaris causing diffuse hair thinning was identified.

The study reviewed the clinical, trichoscopic, and histopathologic features of 40 patients with diffuse hair thinning linked to lichen planopilaris (LPP). Among these, 18 patients were diagnosed with fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution, and 2 with cicatricial pattern hair loss. A new variant, termed "lichen planopilaris diffuse pattern," was identified in 20 individuals. The study highlighted the importance of considering diffuse variants of LPP in patients with long-standing scalp erythema, itching, and hair thinning. The study was limited by the low number of cases due to the rarity of these conditions.

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Research cited in this study

9 / 9 results

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Case Series of 65 Patients Seen in a Single Italian Centre

23 citations, November 2018 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

The study concluded that severity of Frontal fibrosing alopecia is not linked to how long someone has it, can start before menopause, and eyebrow loss may be an early sign.

research Medical Comorbidities in Patients with Lichen Planopilaris: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

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People with Lichen Planopilaris are more likely to have autoimmune diseases, especially Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and less likely to have diabetes and some other common conditions.

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Fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution is a unique hair loss condition that may respond to antiandrogen therapy.

research Female Pattern Hair Loss and Its Relationship to Permanent/Cicatricial Alopecia: A New Perspective

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Some women with common hair loss may develop permanent hair loss.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

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Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia is a type of hair loss in postmenopausal women that may stop on its own but has no effective treatment.

research Fibrosing Alopecia in a Pattern Distribution

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Some people with pattern hair loss may also have scalp inflammation and scarring similar to lichen planopilaris.

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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.

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