Numerous Faces of Yellow Dots: Dermatoscopic Features in Various Types of Effluvium
February 2009
in “
Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology
”
yellow dots alopecia areata androgenic alopecia female androgenetic alopecia cicatricial alopecia discoid lupus erythematosus folliculitis capitis abscedens folliculitis capitis suphodiens effluvium dystrophic hair arborising vessels female pattern hair loss scarring alopecia DLE folliculitis hair shedding damaged hair branching vessels
TLDR Yellow dots look different in various hair loss conditions and can help diagnose them.
The document reports on a study that analyzed the dermatoscopic features of yellow dots in various types of effluvium, focusing on their morphology in different hair loss conditions. In alopecia areata, yellow dots appeared as homogenous, light-yellow structures in old inactive lesions (n = 44), and as remnants of dystrophic hair resembling pepper grains in active lesions (n = 55). Androgenic alopecia (n = 167) showed a wide range of yellow dot colors, with more than half having double margins, and a higher number of yellow dots were found in the frontal area of patients with female androgenetic alopecia. In cicatricial alopecia, yellow dots in discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE; n = 11) were larger in active lesions, while inactive lesions showed arborising vessels. In folliculitis capitis abscedens and suphodiens (n = 3), the yellow dots had a three-dimensional structure resembling yellow soap bubbles with pepper grains inside. The study concluded that yellow dots are dermatoscopic features present in different types of effluvium and their varied appearances can be crucial for accurate diagnosis.
