TLDR Hair loss in lupus is different from hair loss in alopecia areata and may indicate lupus activity.
The 2013 study compared non-scarring patchy alopecia in 21 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to 21 patients with alopecia areata (AA), revealing distinct differences between the two conditions. SLE alopecia was characterized by incomplete hair loss, hair shaft thinning, hypopigmentation, and angiotelectasis, while AA alopecia featured complete hair loss, exclamation-mark hairs, black dots, and broken hair. Histopathological examination showed perivascular inflammation in SLE alopecia, contrasting with the "swarm of bees" lymphocytic pattern seen in AA. After treatment, none of the SLE patients experienced alopecia relapse, while 41.7% of AA patients did. The study concluded that SLE-associated alopecia has unique features and may be a cutaneous sign of SLE, suggesting the importance of serological autoantibody tests for accurate diagnosis and indicating that local vasculitis may play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE alopecia.
Cited in this study
6 / 6 results
66 citations
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August 2012 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” A handheld dermatoscope helps diagnose different types of hair loss effectively.
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August 2010 in “Lupus” Lupus can affect the scalp and nails, often causing hair loss and nail damage, and needs early aggressive treatment to prevent permanent damage.
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February 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Half of people with Alopecia Areata may see hair regrowth within a year without treatment, but recovery is unpredictable.
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February 2009 in “Journal of Dermatology” 
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June 2007 in “The Journal of Dermatology” Most Korean systemic lupus erythematosus patients experienced hair loss, often as non-scarring diffuse hair loss, with non-scarring patch alopecia also common.
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November 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Videodermoscopy improves diagnosis of hair and scalp disorders and may reduce scalp biopsies.
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June 2022 in “PubMed” Alopecia causes hair loss and should be treated early, especially scarring types where hair cannot regrow.
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June 2020 in “Cureus” A woman's hair loss led to discovering she had lupus.
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November 2019 in “JAAD Case Reports” Two patients with lupus had an unusual type of hair loss not typical for the disease but improved with treatment.
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December 2018 in “Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatology” Dermoscopy is useful for diagnosing different types of hair loss.
30 citations
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October 2013 in “Lupus” Hair loss in lupus is different from hair loss in alopecia areata and may indicate lupus activity.
245 citations
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November 2012 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Dermatoscopy is useful for identifying different hair and scalp conditions and can reduce the need for biopsies.
