TLDR Woman has discoid lupus, frontal fibrosing, and androgenetic alopecia.
This document reports a case of a 69-year-old woman with discoid lupus alopecia (DLE) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) on a background of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The patient had lesions on the scalp, face, neck, and chest demonstrating a typical, atrophic appearance. Histopathology from a lupus lesion on the scalp showed a lichenoid inflammatory reaction with cell death and vacuolar change involving the hair follicles, typical of DLE. The frontal scalp showed a prominent superficial and deep perifollicular lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate with extensive dermal fibrosis and a reduction in terminal hairs with increased vellus hairs, typical of FFA. The document also discusses the keratin expression in medullated human scalp hairs and the androgenic regulation of in vitro hair keratin K37 expression.
86 citations,
July 2012 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” There may be a connection between Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Lichen Planus Pigmentosus, and more research is needed to confirm this.
155 citations,
September 2008 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” FFA is more common in postmenopausal women, can affect younger women, and may stabilize over time.
123 citations,
August 2005 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” The study found that Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia affects a broader age range of women and early treatment can help stop hair loss.
89 citations,
February 2002 in “Australasian journal of dermatology” A premenopausal woman had hair loss and skin issues, treated with topical steroids.
329 citations,
January 1997 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a hair loss condition in postmenopausal women, similar to lichen planopilaris, with ineffective treatments.
1 citations,
June 2022 in “PubMed” Alopecia causes hair loss and should be treated early, especially scarring types where hair cannot regrow.
47 citations,
December 2020 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” The document concludes that understanding and treating hair loss requires recognizing its various types and using appropriate diagnostic tools and treatments.
36 citations,
May 2011 in “Dermatologic therapy” No treatments fully cure or prevent alopecia areata; some help but have side effects or need more research.