TLDR A 35-year-old man had patchy hair loss that was actually due to syphilis, not alopecia areata.
A 35-year-old man experienced progressive patchy hair loss over 5 months, initially diagnosed as alopecia areata and treated unsuccessfully with minoxidil. Despite no recent sexual activity or history of genital or mouth ulceration, physical examination revealed diffuse non-scarring, ‘moth-eaten’ patches of alopecia across his scalp.
53 citations,
May 1995 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Syphilis can cause hair loss that looks like other conditions, but it improves with treatment.
67 citations,
January 2013 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” The document concludes that alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease without a definitive cure, but treatments like corticosteroids are commonly used.
13 citations,
February 2016 in “Clinical Medicine” The document concludes that diagnosing and treating hair loss is complex and requires understanding its psychological effects and underlying causes, while also calling for more research and new treatments.
