Granulomatous Alopecia Areata Is a Valid but Rare Histologic Subset of a Common Disease

The document discusses granulomatous alopecia areata, a rare histologic variant of the common disease alopecia areata. Only 3 cases had been previously reported, and the authors describe 2 additional cases. Both cases involved patients with distinct patches of hair loss and granulomatous inflammation around hair follicles. The study highlights that granulomatous inflammation should not exclude the diagnosis of alopecia areata when other typical histologic features are present. This variant can be confused with other conditions like sarcoidosis or syphilis, but specific histologic characteristics help in differentiation. The findings suggest that granulomatous alopecia areata is a valid but uncommon presentation of alopecia areata.