A Histologic Review of 27 Patients with Lichen Planopilaris

July 2008 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”

Yasmeen K. Tandon, Najwa Somani, Nathaniel C. Cevasco, Wilma F. Bergfeld

TLDR The conclusion is that certain scalp tissue changes are characteristic of lichen planopilaris, with mucinous perifollicular fibroplasia being a new feature for diagnosis.

The study reviewed scalp biopsy specimens from 27 patients with confirmed lichen planopilaris (LPP) to identify key histologic features for diagnosis. The results showed that the absence of arrector pili muscles and sebaceous glands, a lymphocytic infiltrate around blood vessels and hair follicles in the reticular dermis, mucinous perifollicular fibroplasia in the upper dermis without interfollicular mucin, and superficial perifollicular wedge-shaped scarring were characteristic of LPP. The study confirmed previously reported histologic features and introduced mucinous perifollicular fibroplasia as a new diagnostic feature. However, the study was limited by the small sample size and the variability of lesions at different stages of the disease.

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research A Case-Series of 29 Patients with Lichen Planopilaris: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Experience on Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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The study found that steroids and tetracycline helped treat active Lichen planopilaris, and hair transplants were good for later stages.

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The document concludes that accurate diagnosis of different types of hair loss requires careful examination of hair and scalp tissue, considering both clinical and microscopic features.

research Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Versus Lichen Planopilaris: A Clinicopathological Study

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The conclusion is that FFA and LPP have similar scalp biopsy features, making them hard to distinguish histologically, and FFA may be a specific kind of scarring hair loss.

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A premenopausal woman had hair loss and skin issues, treated with topical steroids.

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The VVG stain effectively differentiates scar tissue from normal skin and helps classify types of permanent alopecia.

research IMMUNOPATHOLOGY OF THE HUMAN HAIR FOLLICLE

15 citations , July 1999 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

The document concludes that immune system abnormalities cause alopecia areata, but the exact process is still not completely understood.

research Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia: A frontal variant of lichen planopilaris

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

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a hair loss condition in postmenopausal women, similar to lichen planopilaris, with ineffective treatments.