Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Review of Eleven Patients
September 2011
in “
European Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Most treatments for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia are ineffective, but early anti-inflammatory therapy may help and the condition may stabilize over time.
The document summarizes a study of 11 patients with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA), a condition marked by a receding frontotemporal hairline, which is a variant of lichen planopilaris. The study, conducted over three years, involved ten postmenopausal and one premenopausal women aged between 45 and 80. Clinical observations included symmetrical frontal and temporal alopecia, with eyebrow and axillary hair loss in some patients. Normal laboratory results were reported, and scalp biopsies indicated perifollicular fibrosis and lymphocytic inflammation. Treatments like intralesional corticosteroids and hydroxychloroquine were largely ineffective, except for one recent case showing some improvement. The study concluded that there is no strongly evidenced effective treatment for FFA, though early anti-inflammatory therapy might help, and the condition often stabilizes on its own after a few years.