Placebo-controlled oral pulse prednisolone therapy in alopecia areata

This study evaluated the efficacy of weekly oral prednisolone pulse therapy in treating extensive alopecia areata (AA) through a placebo-controlled trial involving 43 patients. Group A, consisting of 23 patients, received 200 mg of oral prednisolone weekly, while Group B, with 20 patients, received placebo tablets. Over a 6-month period, significant hair regrowth was observed in 8 patients from the prednisolone group, although 2 experienced a relapse during the 3-month observation phase. No significant hair regrowth was noted in the placebo group. The study concluded that oral prednisolone pulse therapy was beneficial for AA, but further placebo-controlled studies with varied dosages were needed to optimize treatment efficacy and minimize side effects.