Eyelash Alopecia Areata: Case Series and Literature Review

The retrospective chart review study, involving 15 patients, aimed to characterize eyelash alopecia areata's clinical presentations, features, and outcomes over a 3-year follow-up period. The patients, predominantly female (14:1 ratio), had a mean age of 18 years. Half of the patients showed concurrent scalp and brow alopecia, with the upper eyelid being more commonly and severely affected than the lower eyelid. Notably, 40% of patients experienced complete eyelash regrowth within an average of 28 months, and younger age at presentation was associated with regrowth. Other factors such as the presence of other involved sites, personal or family histories of atopy, family history of alopecia, other autoimmune diseases, or the use of topical steroids did not significantly influence the prognosis. The study concluded that eyelash alopecia areata is potentially underdiagnosed and should be differentiated from trichotillomania, particularly by the presence of exclamation-mark hairs.