Combination Therapy With Oral PUVA and Corticosteroid for Recalcitrant Alopecia Areata

    March 2009 in “ Archives of dermatological research ”
    Taisuke Ito, Masahiro Aoshima, Natsuho Ito, Izumi Uchiyama, Keiko Sakamoto, Tetsuya Kawamura, Hiroaki Yanagimoto, Hideo Hashizume, Masaharu Takigawa
    TLDR The combination of oral PUVA and corticosteroids helps regrow hair in severe alopecia areata.
    The study investigated the effectiveness of a combination therapy using oral corticosteroids and oral PUVA for treating severe alopecia areata (AA), specifically alopecia totalis (AT) and alopecia universalis (AU). Patients received 20 mg/day of corticosteroids and whole-body UVA irradiation 2 hours after taking methoxsalen for 1 month. All patients experienced regrowth of terminal hair on the scalp within 2 months, although two patients relapsed 3 months post-treatment. The therapy increased the population of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and decreased the number of infiltrating cells in the skin lesions, suggesting an immune-modulating effect that contributed to the improvement of recalcitrant AA.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    3 / 3 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 1000+ results

      community Oral minoxidil or topical with tretinoin?

      in Minoxidil  5 upvotes 2 weeks ago
      The conversation discusses the effectiveness of oral minoxidil versus topical minoxidil with tretinoin for hair regrowth, with some users suggesting oral minoxidil might be more effective for non-responders to topical treatments. Concerns about side effects and the role of enzymes in activating minoxidil are also mentioned.

      community Is microneedling + minoxidil better than oral minoxidil

      in Chat  29 upvotes 3 weeks ago
      Oral minoxidil is considered more effective for hair regrowth than topical minoxidil, but it carries higher risks. Combining microneedling with topical minoxidil can enhance absorption, but oral minoxidil with microneedling shows significant results.

      community Oral min vs topical comparison

      in Treatment  10 upvotes 1 month ago
      Oral minoxidil is claimed to be more effective and easier to use than topical minoxidil, with a 100% response rate, but it may cause unwanted body hair growth and has potential heart-related side effects. Topical minoxidil is less effective for many due to enzyme limitations, can cause scalp issues, and is more challenging to apply, but it avoids systemic side effects.

      community What's "wrong" with oral minoxidil, exactly?

      in Minoxidil  173 upvotes 1 month ago
      Oral minoxidil can boost hair growth but may cause side effects like heart palpitations and increased body hair. Many prefer topical minoxidil due to fewer side effects.

    Related Research

    2 / 2 results