Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Review of Recent Case Reports and Case Series in PubMed

August 2018 in “ Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft ”

Eva Maria Valesky, Manuela Denise Maier, Stefan Kippenberger, Roland Kaufmann, Markus Meißner

frontal fibrosing alopecia hairline recession eyebrow loss thyroid disease lichen planopilaris 5α-reductase inhibitors minoxidil corticosteroids FFA Rogaine

TLDR Most patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia are middle-aged women, often have thyroid disease, and some treatments can help stabilize the condition.

The document reviewed 68 articles involving 932 patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), a condition characterized by hairline recession and eyebrow loss, primarily affecting women (96.9%) around the age of 55.6 years at onset. The review found a high incidence of thyroid disease in FFA patients (31.4%) and noted the difficulty in distinguishing FFA from lichen planopilaris histologically. Treatments with 5α-reductase inhibitors, minoxidil, and corticosteroids showed some effectiveness in stabilizing the disease in 18 out of 41 patients and achieving regression in 3 patients. The study emphasized the need for controlled trials to develop effective treatments for FFA.

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15 / 15 results

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Among Men: A Clinicopathologic Study of 7 Cases

41 citations , October 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Men with Frontal fibrosing alopecia typically lose hair on the front scalp and sometimes on sideburns and upper lip, with treatments showing varied success.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Increasing Cases and Treatment Options

6 citations , July 2017 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a scarring hair loss condition mainly affecting older women, with no known cause and treatments that may help stabilize hair loss.

research Unusual Patterns of Presentation of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Clinical and Trichoscopic Analysis of 98 Patients

18 citations , July 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Trichoscopy helps diagnose frontal fibrosing alopecia, even with unusual patterns.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Clinical and Prognostic Classification

74 citations , May 2017 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

Researchers found three patterns of Frontal fibrosing alopecia, with Pattern III having the best prognosis after treatment.

research Isolated Eyebrow Loss in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Relevance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment

27 citations , July 2016 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

research Case Series of Familial Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and a Review of the Literature

33 citations , March 2015 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology”

Familial frontal fibrosing alopecia affects premenopausal women too, and early diagnosis is important, but no proven medication exists yet.

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

102 citations , April 2014 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

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 , April 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Most patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia are postmenopausal women, and treatments like finasteride and dutasteride can improve or stabilize the condition.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Retrospective Review of 19 Patients Seen at Duke University

98 citations , May 2013 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

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

research Treatment of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Lichen Planopilaris: A Systematic Review

117 citations , March 2013 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

No effective treatment for frontal fibrosing alopecia was found, but oral 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors had the best response; for lichen planopilaris, topical corticosteroids were commonly used but had a high relapse rate.

research Male Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia with Generalized Hair Loss

18 citations , November 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology”

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

research Lonely Hair

63 citations , October 2011 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Isolated long hairs at the original hairline can help diagnose Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia.

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

53 citations , June 2010 in “Dermatologic Surgery”

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

research Lichen Planopilaris: Update on Diagnosis and Treatment

160 citations , March 2009 in “Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery”

New insights show Lichen Planopilaris is a rare, scarring hair loss condition, hard to treat, mainly affecting middle-aged women, and significantly impacts mental health.

research Post-Menopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

49 citations , January 2003 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology”

The document concludes that post-menopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia is a poorly understood condition that does not respond well to common treatments.

2 / 2 results

research Lichen-Planopilaris-Like Scarring Pattern in a Patient with Alopecia and Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris

September 2020 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology”

A patient with a skin condition had unusual scarring hair loss but improved with treatment.

research Lichen Planopilaris, Diagnosis and Therapy Challenge - Case Report

October 2018

A 21-year-old with lichen planopilaris was successfully treated, stopping disease progression and preventing crusts.