Mild-To-Moderate COVID-19 Is Not Associated With Worsening Of Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Analysis Of 32 Patients

The retrospective analysis included 32 patients with pre-existing alopecia areata who had confirmed mild to moderate COVID-19. The Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score was used to assess the severity of hair loss before COVID-19 and 3 months after disease onset, with additional evaluations for some patients at 6 months. The study found no statistically significant difference in SALT scores before and after COVID-19, with mean scores of 40.8 ± 28.6 before and 36.3 ± 27.3 after. Only 3 out of 17 patients showed signs of active disease in trichoscopy. While 10 patients experienced mild to moderate diffuse hair loss consistent with telogen effluvium, none progressed to alopecia totalis/universalis. The study concluded that mild-to-moderate COVID-19 was not associated with worsening of alopecia areata. However, the study's limitations include the small sample size and the fact that most patients were undergoing treatment that could have suppressed an inflammatory response.