Pediatric Androgenetic Alopecia: A Retrospective Review of Clinical Characteristics, Hormonal Assays, and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in 23 Patients

This retrospective study of 23 pediatric patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) found that AGA is more common in adolescents, with a mean age of 15.3 years, and affects both genders equally. The most frequent hair loss pattern was diffuse thinning at the crown, and trichoscopic findings showed >20% hair diameter diversity in all patients. Notably, 60.9% of the patients had at least one metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factor, with obesity or overweight being the most common. Increased levels of free and total testosterone were observed in some patients, but other hormonal levels were generally normal. The study emphasizes the importance of recognizing AGA in pediatric patients for timely diagnosis and management, and highlights the need to screen for MetS risk factors to prevent future cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.