Concurrence of Giant Cell Arteritis in a Patient with De Quervain's Thyroiditis

In a letter to the editors published in 1997, Adamopoulos et al. reported on the effects of spironolactone, an anti-hypertensive drug with anti-androgenic activity, on androgenic alopecia in 4 young patients aged 18-23 (2 women and 2 men). The patients were treated with 100 mg of spironolactone twice daily for six months. Measurements of hair loss and hair root phases were taken before, during, and after treatment. The study found a 50.0 to 62.9% reduction in hair loss and an increase in the anagen phase of hair growth during treatment. However, there was a partial relapse after stopping the medication. No significant changes in endocrine parameters or adverse effects were observed. The authors concluded that spironolactone might be useful for treating scalp hair loss in androgenic alopecia, but a properly designed clinical trial is needed to confirm these findings.