Histopathological Examination and Evaluation of Serum Vitamin D Levels in Alopecia: Is It Necessary?

    December 2020 in “ Our Dermatology Online ”
    Romita Bachaspatimayum, Bishurul Hafi, Bipin Thingujam
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    TLDR Skin biopsies are recommended for confirming alopecia diagnosis due to variability in clinical assessments; the link between vitamin D levels and alopecia is unclear.
    The study conducted from January 2015 to December 2016 examined the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and alopecia, as well as the correlation between histopathological examination (HPE) and clinical diagnosis. Out of 50 patients, 20 had both HPE and serum vitamin D reports. The results showed that HPE and clinical diagnosis matched in only 50% of the cases, indicating a significant variability (p=0.007; p<0.05). Furthermore, only 15% of the patients had sufficient levels of serum vitamin D (>/= 30 ng/ml), but the correlation between vitamin D levels and alopecia was not significant (p=0.421). The study concluded that due to the variability between HPE findings and clinical diagnosis, a confirmatory skin biopsy is advisable. Despite the lack of significant association, the study suggested further evaluation of vitamin D levels in larger scale studies.
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