Increased Preauricular Wrinkles in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Compared to Age-Matched Controls: A Prospective Study of 64 Patients
September 2019
in “
Skin appendage disorders
”
TLDR Women with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia have more wrinkles near their ears than similar aged women without the condition.
In a prospective study conducted from October 2018 to February 2019, 32 females with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA) were compared to 32 age-matched females with either androgenetic alopecia or chronic telogen effluvium. The study found that females with FFA had a significantly higher mean number of preauricular lines (wrinkles near the ear) than the control group (7.6 vs. 4.9, p = 0.002). This was true regardless of age, and disease severity was not correlated to increased lines. The cause of the increased preauricular lines in FFA patients is unknown, but it was speculated that skin atrophy and loss of elastic fibers in the preauricular area may contribute. These findings suggest that increased preauricular lines could be another clinical marker of FFA.
