Diphencyprone in the Treatment of Satoyoshi Syndrome

The document reports on a case of alopecia universalis (AU) in a 36-year-old woman with severe atopic eczema, who experienced rapid hair regrowth following treatment with azathioprine. The patient initially developed alopecia areata as a teenager, which progressed to AU by the age of 30. Previous treatments included oral cyclosporine, which was stopped due to side effects, and methotrexate, which was ineffective for the alopecia. Azathioprine was first administered in 2008, leading to almost complete hair regrowth within 8 months. After a period of discontinued use due to loss of efficacy for eczema, azathioprine was restarted in 2013, again resulting in a good response for both eczema and AU. This case is significant as it is reportedly the first instance of AU responding to azathioprine, with the rapid regrowth observed on two separate occasions suggesting the response was not due to chance. The document also mentions that there are only two other reports in the literature of azathioprine being used to treat alopecia areata, making this case a novel addition to the field.