Hair Transplant in a Patient with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Associated with Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus

May 2011 in “ Dermatología argentina ”

Adriana Gurfinkiel, Horacio García Igarza, José Guadalupe Casas, A Kaminsky

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia lichen sclerosus hair microtransplant finasteride topical minoxidil lichen planopilaris corticosteroids tacrolimus hydroxychloroquine hormonal replacement therapy FFA hair transplant Propecia Rogaine HRT

From the encyclopedia

Finasteride →

Frontline, gold standard treatment for combatting androgenic alopecia

Hair Transplant →

Hair transplantation moves DHT-resistant follicles from a donor area (back and sides of the scalp) into thinning or bald areas. The transplanted hair is generally permanent, though surrounding native hair can keep thinning.

Minoxidil →

An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

Studysummary In this case report, a female patient with frontal fibrosing alopecia and lichen scleroatrophicus vulvae experienced excellent results from hair microtransplants combined with finasteride and topical minoxidil, maintained over six years.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

In 2011, a 62-year-old female with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA) and lichen sclerosus of the vulva underwent successful hair microtransplant surgery in the frontal and frontoparietal areas, with results lasting 6 years post-operation. She was also treated with finasteride (1 mg/day) and 2% topical minoxidil, showing a good response with decreased hair fall and observed hair growth within six months. The case highlights the potential of hair microtransplants as a non-conventional treatment for FFA, a variant of lichen planopilaris, especially when there is at least two years of clinical inactivity of alopecia and no acute inflammatory phenomena. Other treatments for FFA, such as corticosteroids, tacrolimus, and hydroxychloroquine, have only temporarily halted disease progression, and hormonal replacement therapy has not been effective.

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Research cited in this study

9 / 9 results

research Histopathology of Alopecia: A Clinicopathological Approach to Diagnosis

170 citations , December 2009 in “Histopathology”

This review discusses the histopathological diagnosis of scarring and non-scarring alopecias, emphasizing the importance of adequate tissue sampling and clinical information; it reports no new empirical results.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Clinical Presentations and Prognosis

155 citations , September 2008 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

This study observed that frontal fibrosing alopecia predominantly affects postmenopausal women, can be associated with lichen planus, and may lead to progressive hairline recession, though this progression is not consistent in all cases.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Versus Lichen Planopilaris: A Clinicopathological Study

126 citations , April 2006 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that frontal fibrosing alopecia and lichen planopilaris have similar histopathological features, but FFA exhibits more prominent apoptosis and less inflammation with spared interfollicular epidermis.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Developing After Hair Transplantation for Androgenetic Alopecia

64 citations , January 2005 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This report discusses cases of frontal fibrosing alopecia developing after hair transplantation for androgenetic alopecia, without presenting new clinical findings.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in Postmenopausal Women

179 citations , December 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study observed that frontal fibrosing alopecia in postmenopausal women involves selective follicular inflammation, and finasteride treatment may slow disease progression, suggesting a potential androgen-related component.

research Postmenopausal Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

57 citations , January 2003 in “Clinical and experimental dermatology”

This study identified postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia as a distinct form of scarring alopecia in postmenopausal women, noting a potential link with a history of bilateral oophorectomy.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Associated with Cutaneous Lichen Planus in a Premenopausal Woman

89 citations , February 2002 in “Australasian journal of dermatology”

This case report describes the first known instance of fibrosing alopecia associated with cutaneous lichen planus, suggesting fibrosing alopecia may be a variant of lichen planopilaris.

research Fibrosing Alopecia in a Pattern Distribution

158 citations , February 2000 in “Archives of dermatology”

This study reports that some patients with androgenetic alopecia may also exhibit clinical and histological features of inflammation and fibrosis, similar to those found in lichen planopilaris.

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

329 citations , January 1997 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study reports that progressive frontal fibrosing alopecia, a distinct and gradually stabilizing form of lichen planopilaris affecting elderly women and often involving eyebrow hair loss, lacks effective treatments.