Medical Comorbidities in Patients with Lichen Planopilaris: A Retrospective Case-Control Study
April 2018
in “
International Journal of Dermatology
”
lichen planopilaris LPP Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia FFA Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SLE Classic Lichen Planopilaris CLPP diabetes hypertension heart disease hypothyroidism hyperlipidemia metabolic syndrome cardiovascular disease CVD hepatitis C autoimmune disorders depression hyperthyroidism fatty liver chronic airway obstruction sleep disorder allergic rhinitis high cholesterol allergies
TLDR People with Lichen Planopilaris are more likely to have autoimmune diseases, especially Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and less likely to have diabetes and some other common conditions.
In a retrospective case-control study with 206 Lichen Planopilaris (LPP) patients and 323 controls, significant associations were found between LPP and various comorbidities. Female patients with the Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA) subtype of LPP had a notably higher likelihood of having Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), with an odds ratio (OR) of 31.034. LPP patients, including both Classic LPP (CLPP) and FFA, were less likely to have diabetes (OR of 0.066), and those with CLPP excluding FFA were less likely to have hypertension, heart disease, and hypothyroidism. The study also identified significant associations between LPP and other conditions such as hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease (CVD), hepatitis C, various autoimmune disorders, depression, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, fatty liver, chronic airway obstruction, sleep disorder, and allergic rhinitis. The findings, supported by odds ratios, confidence intervals, and p-values, suggest a strong link between LPP and autoimmune diseases, particularly SLE, and underscore the importance of further research into treatment options for these patients. However, the study's retrospective nature and reliance on diagnostic coding may have introduced errors or bias.
