Lichenoid Red Tattoo Reaction and Alopecia Areata

In the document from June 23, 2011, a case is reported of a 31-year-old man who developed a lichenoid reaction to red ink in a tattoo on his arm, which was painful and itchy, and simultaneously developed a patch of alopecia areata (AA) on his beard. The tattoo reaction was histologically confirmed as a lichenoid reaction, and the patient's AA was diagnosed clinically. Intradermal triamcinolone treatment was administered to the tattoo-affected area, resulting in improvement, and the AA patch also showed complete hair restoration without direct treatment. The document discusses the association between AA and immune-mediated cutaneous disorders, including lichen planus (LP), both of which are autoimmune diseases. The coexistence of AA and LP is not unexpected due to their autoimmune nature, and the document speculates on a common pathogenic cause for the lichenoid tattoo reaction and AA. The case is noted as the first reported association between a lichenoid red tattoo reaction and AA.