Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Role of Dermoscopy in Differential Diagnosis

January 2010 in “ Case reports in dermatology ”

Pietro Rubegni, Filomena Mandato, Michele Fimiani

frontal fibrosing alopecia lichen planopilaris inflammatory follicle destruction dermoscopy traction alopecia alopecia areata cicatricial marginal alopecia

TLDR Dermoscopy helps diagnose frontal fibrosing alopecia by distinguishing it from other hair loss conditions.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) primarily affected postmenopausal women but could also occur in younger women, and some researchers considered it a frontal variant of lichen planopilaris. Clinically, FFA was marked by progressive frontotemporal hairline recession due to inflammatory follicle destruction. Dermoscopy proved useful in differentiating FFA from other conditions like traction alopecia, alopecia areata, and cicatricial marginal alopecia. The impact of treatment on the disease's progression was unclear, as it often stabilized over time regardless of treatment. The document included a case study of a 50-year-old woman with FFA, highlighting dermoscopy's role in diagnosis.

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Research cited in this study

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

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research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Versus Lichen Planopilaris: A Clinicopathological Study

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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.

research Female Pattern Hair Loss and Its Relationship to Permanent/Cicatricial Alopecia: A New Perspective

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Some women with common hair loss may develop permanent hair loss.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Survey in 16 Patients

123 citations, August 2005 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

The study found that Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia affects a broader age range of women and early treatment can help stop hair loss.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in Postmenopausal Women

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.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Frontal Variant of Lichen Planopilaris

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.

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