TLDR Lupus erythematosus can mimic alopecia areata, and trichoscopy is key for accurate diagnosis and better patient outcomes.
This multicenter retrospective study analyzed 10 patients (90% female, mean age 45.9 years) with lupus erythematosus (LE) mimicking alopecia areata (AA). Key clinical features included erythema (60%) and incomplete hair loss (70%). Trichoscopic findings such as interfollicular arborizing vessels (90%) and scattered brown discoloration (80%) were common, while histopathology revealed perivascular inflammation (85.7%) and peribulbar lymphocytes (85.7%). The study concluded that trichoscopy is essential for differentiating LE from AA, guiding biopsies, and improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. The study's limitations include its small sample size and retrospective design.
3 citations,
March 2021 in “Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology” Early treatment of Lupus Erythematosus Alopecia can prevent permanent hair loss, and various medications are effective.
4 citations,
September 2020 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology” 
3 citations,
June 2020 in “Cureus” A woman's hair loss led to discovering she had lupus.
39 citations,
May 2019 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Hair loss in lupus patients indicates higher disease activity.
29 citations,
January 2019 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Trichoscopy is useful for diagnosing and monitoring systemic lupus erythematosus, with certain hair and scalp changes indicating more active disease.
39 citations,
October 2018 in “Lupus Science & Medicine” Different types of hair loss in lupus need careful diagnosis for proper treatment.
30 citations,
October 2013 in “Lupus” Hair loss in lupus is different from hair loss in alopecia areata and may indicate lupus activity.
148 citations,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations,
November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
