Familial Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Cross-Sectional Study of 20 Cases from Nine Families

In a cross-sectional study from the University Hospital in Granada, Spain, involving 20 patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) from nine families, researchers found that familial FFA presents with clinical and dermoscopic features similar to non-familial cases. The majority of the patients were women with a mean age of 61.4 years, and 90% of the cases were women. Daughters affected by FFA showed an earlier onset and shorter recession area compared to their mothers, suggesting a potential genetic component to the disease. The study also observed that 70% of the patients had body hair affected and all had eyebrow alopecia. Dermoscopic signs such as perifollicular erythema and hyperkeratosis were common, and dermoscopy proved useful for early diagnosis. The presence of androgenetic alopecia was low, at 10%. The findings indicate the need for further research to understand the genetic susceptibility of FFA.