Pediatric Alopecia Areata Following COVID-19 Infection

The document describes a study of three pediatric patients who developed alopecia areata (AA), a condition of hair loss, after contracting COVID-19. The patients, two boys and one girl aged 8 and 9, developed patches of balding hair loss 3 to 7 weeks after their COVID-19 infection. Clinical scalp examination revealed well-delimited oval patches of completely bald skin, and trichoscopic examination showed signs of acute hair loss. The patients were treated with daily topical corticosteroids. The study suggests that viral infections like COVID-19 may trigger AA in genetically predisposed individuals by causing oxidative stress, leading to an autoimmune response against hair follicles. The authors note that while a causal link between COVID-19 and AA is not confirmed, the temporal association observed in this study and others supports the possibility.