Resolution of Paraneoplastic Alopecia Areata Following Nivolumab in a Patient With Metastatic Melanoma
June 2023
in “
JAAD case reports
”
TLDR Nivolumab treatment led to hair regrowth in a man with metastatic melanoma and alopecia areata.
A 48-year-old man with metastatic melanoma and paraneoplastic alopecia areata (AA) unresponsive to standard treatments experienced hair regrowth and full resolution of AA within 6 months of starting nivolumab, an immune-checkpoint inhibitor. This case suggests that successful cancer treatment with immunotherapy can resolve associated autoimmune conditions like AA, indicating a potential link between melanocytic antigens in hair follicles and AA pathogenesis. Further research is needed to understand the autoepitopes involved and the role of immunotherapy in treating paraneoplastic autoimmune events.
