Evaluation of Difficult Alopecia Areata Cases Requiring Histopathological Confirmation
April 2025
in “
TURKDERM
”
New to Alopecia Areata? There is a guide in the encyclopedia. Read the guide → 
Studysummary The researchers observed that in cases of alopecia areata with atypical features, histopathological confirmation may be necessary, as trichoscopic clues like loss of follicle ostia and vellus hairs were common, while typical features such as exclamation mark hairs were not always present. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
This study investigates when histopathological confirmation is necessary for diagnosing atypical cases of alopecia areata (AA). Out of 137 patients, 10 (7.3%) required histopathological examination. The study found that unexpected trichoscopy features, such as loss of follicle ostium and vellus hair, are more common in cases with a long disease duration, while typical features like exclamation mark hairs and black dots may not always be present. The findings suggest that in challenging cases, histopathological confirmation can be crucial for accurate diagnosis.
