The Use of Oral Pioglitazone in the Treatment of Lichen Planopilaris

This study evaluated the efficacy of pioglitazone, a PPAR-γ agonist, in treating lichen planopilaris (LPP) in 22 female patients who were refractory to multiple prior therapies. The results showed that 72.7% of patients experienced marked improvement in symptoms, inflammation, and disease progression, with 27.3% noting new hair regrowth. However, side effects such as lower-extremity edema and weight gain were reported. The study concluded that PPAR-γ agonists could be a viable treatment option for LPP, targeting its inflammatory stages, but emphasized the need for a prospective, double-blind, randomized trial to confirm these findings.