Distinguishing Diffuse Alopecia Areata from Pattern Hair Loss Using CD3+ T Cells

    February 2016 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”
    Athanassios Kolivras, Curtis T. Thompson
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    TLDR CD3+ T-cell presence is a reliable marker to tell apart alopecia areata from pattern hair loss.
    The study conducted biopsies on 28 cases of subacute alopecia areata (AA) and 31 cases of pattern hair loss (PHL) to determine if CD3+ T lymphocytes could be used to differentiate between the two conditions. The biopsies were processed and stained for various immune cells, including CD3+ T cells. The findings indicated that the presence of CD3+ lymphocytes within empty follicular fibrous tracts was a highly sensitive (0.964) and specific (1.000) indicator for diagnosing AA, particularly when peribulbar lymphocytes were absent. The study concluded that CD3+ T-cell presence within these tracts is a reliable histopathological marker for AA, offering a new diagnostic tool to distinguish AA from PHL. However, the study faced limitations due to the limited tissue available for analysis.
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      Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

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      in Research  692 upvotes 3 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.

      community I am a dermatologist with a clinical interest in alopecia. AMA

      in Will treatment work for me? 2 years ago
      In this conversation, 4990 discussed various treatments for hair loss, including oral minoxidil, PRP, transplan, Jak inhibitors, Dutasteride, Finasteride, Olumiant, Ketoconazole, RU58841, microneedling, baricitinib, and CCCA. They recommended scalp biopsies in unclear cases of DUPA, twice weekly to twice daily shampooing for topical minoxidil users, and two sessions spaced one month apart with follow up at month three to determine the effectiveness of PRP treatment.

      community One+ year 1mg Fin, Ketoconazole, and 3.75 Oral Min. I have DUPA. Switched from Topical to Oral Min.

      in Progress Pictures  142 upvotes 2 years ago
      A user's experience with hair loss treatments such as finasteride, ketoconazole, and oral minoxidil that have not yielded any results; other users suggest shaving the head or getting a wig, while others offer additional advice such as seeing a dermatologist, checking thyroid levels, switching to dutasteride and adding needling, and trying stemoxydine.

      community Seeking Advice: Unusual Hair Loss at 31 Years Old - Any Insights? (M)

      in Chat  15 upvotes 7 months ago
      A 31-year-old man who previously had good results with minoxidil, finasteride, and nizoral for hair loss is now experiencing unusual hair loss and side effects from finasteride. Respondents suggest it might be severe retrograde alopecia and recommend exploring other treatment options due to his inability to tolerate finasteride.

      community Fuck hair loss; acquire beard.

      in Shaved/buzzed  933 upvotes 2 years ago
      A user's transformation from an accountant to a spartan with a full beard, discussing the potential of DUPA and alopecia areata, as well as treatments like vitamins, topicals, and natural treatments for potential regrowth.

      community 22F. Should I even bother getting a biopsy? Is there any point?

       8 upvotes 8 years ago
      A woman who has been experiencing hair loss for several years, and her question of whether there is any benefit to getting a biopsy to check if it's AGA or diffuse alopecia areata when no cure or very effective treatment exists. Treatments such as spironolactone and Minoxidil/finasteride/RU58841 have previously been discussed.

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