Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Vitiligo: Coexistence or True Association

January 2016 in “ Skin Appendage Disorders ”

Alexander Katoulis, Konstantina Diamanti, Dimitrios Sgouros, Aikaterini Ι. Liakou, Antigoni Alevizou, Evangelia Bozi, Vasileia Damaskou, Ioannis Panayiotides, Dimitrios Rigopoulos

TLDR Frontal fibrosing alopecia and vitiligo might be linked, not just coincidental.

The study investigated the coexistence of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) and vitiligo, conditions that are rarely reported together. In a retrospective analysis of 20 FFA cases over 14 months, 2 individuals, a 72-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man, exhibited FFA on preexisting vitiligo of the forehead. This anatomical colocalization suggested a potential causal link rather than a coincidental occurrence. The study proposed that interrelated immunologic events and pathological processes might underlie both conditions, indicating a possible association between FFA and vitiligo.

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Research cited in this study

17 / 17 results

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Retrospective Clinical Review of 62 Patients with Treatment Outcome and Long-Term Follow-Up

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The treatment helped reduce symptoms and stabilize the hairline in most patients with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but hair regrowth was limited.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Multicenter Review of 355 Patients

339 citations , February 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

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Dutasteride may help stabilize Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but more research is needed.

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A 66-year-old man with a rare case of male frontal fibrosing alopecia did not regrow hair despite treatment.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Clinical Review of 36 Patients

159 citations , August 2010 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

Hydroxychloroquine effectively reduces symptoms of frontal fibrosing alopecia, especially in the first 6 months.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in a Man: Results of Follicular Unit Test Grafting

53 citations , May 2010 in “Dermatologic Surgery”

Hair transplantation may not work for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia as transplanted hair was lost when the disease came back.

research Treatment of Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia with Oral Dutasteride

64 citations , June 2009 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Oral dutasteride can potentially treat frontal fibrosing alopecia in postmenopausal women, with some patients showing disease arrest and hair regrowth.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Clinical Presentations and Prognosis

155 citations , September 2008 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

FFA is more common in postmenopausal women, can affect younger women, and may stabilize over time.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Assessment

54 citations , November 2007 in “Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas”

research Diagnostic and Therapeutic Assessment of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

16 citations , January 2007 in “Actas dermo-sifiliográficas/Actas dermo-sifiliográficas”

The document concludes that there are no reliable treatments for frontal fibrosing alopecia, with only temporary benefits from current options.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Versus Lichen Planopilaris: A Clinicopathological Study

126 citations , April 2006 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

The conclusion is that FFA and LPP have similar scalp biopsy features, making them hard to distinguish histologically, and FFA may be a specific kind of scarring hair loss.

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64 citations , January 2005 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

Hair transplant destroyed by lichen planopilaris.

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179 citations , December 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Some postmenopausal women with frontal fibrosing alopecia stopped losing hair with finasteride treatment, hinting at a possible hormonal cause.

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329 citations , January 1997 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a hair loss condition in postmenopausal women, similar to lichen planopilaris, with ineffective treatments.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Scarring Alopecia in a Pattern Distribution

332 citations , June 1994 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia may be a unique condition linked to postmenopausal changes.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

325 citations , June 1994 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia may be a unique condition linked to postmenopausal changes.

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