Nail Lichen Planus in a Patient with Alopecia Totalis

January 2015 in “ Dermatology online journal ”

Brian Ginsberg, John Montgomery Yost, John M. Lewin, Christopher Hale, Shane A Meehan, John A. Carucci, Sarika Ramachandran

alopecia totalis intralesional glucocorticoid injections 20-nail dystrophy lichen planus nail matrix autoimmune alopecia glucocorticoid injections nail dystrophy autoimmune disease

TLDR A man with total hair loss also developed a rare nail condition, likely due to autoimmune issues.

A 67-year-old man with a three-year history of non-scarring alopecia that progressed to alopecia totalis, despite intralesional glucocorticoid injections, developed 20-nail dystrophy resistant to antifungal and anti-inflammatory treatments. A biopsy revealed lichen planus in the nail matrix. Both alopecia totalis and isolated lichen planus of the nails are uncommon and rarely reported together, likely due to their autoimmune origins. The document reviewed literature on their association.

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