Eosinophils in fibrous tracts and near hair bulbs: A helpful diagnostic feature of alopecia areata
February 2000
in “
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
”
TLDR Eosinophils are not a reliable marker for diagnosing alopecia areata.
A study re-examined 51 slides of alopecia areata (AA) lesions to verify the presence of eosinophils, previously suggested as a diagnostic feature by Elston et al. Eosinophils were found in only 11 of the 51 slides, indicating their presence was too infrequent to be a reliable diagnostic marker. In contrast, mast cells were detected in 48 of the slides, suggesting they might be a more consistent feature of AA. However, further research was needed to determine if mast cells could serve as a diagnostic clue, as their presence in AA simulators had not been thoroughly investigated.