TLDR Tofacitinib helped regrow hair in a teen with a unique pattern of alopecia areata.
This case report discusses a 17-year-old patient with a novel presentation of alopecia areata (AA) that mimics androgenic alopecia (AGA). Despite a family history of AA and a 6-year history of diffuse hair loss, the patient showed a unique 'U' pattern hair loss and did not respond to minoxidil treatment. However, significant hair regrowth was observed after 3 months of treatment with tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, supporting the diagnosis of AA. The report highlights the potential for JAK inhibitors in treating AA with pattern hair loss and suggests further studies to explore this clinical phenotype.
4 citations
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April 2020 in “JAAD case reports” JAK inhibitors help hair regrowth but not fully effective for androgenetic alopecia.
3 citations
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February 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Reducing micro-inflammation didn't change hair growth patterns in AGA.
8 citations
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August 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Early diagnosis and treatment, like topical minoxidil, can prevent hair loss in children.
421 citations
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April 2012 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition causing hair loss with no cure and treatments that often don't work well.
148 citations
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December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations
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November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
