Factors Predicting Response to Oral Methylprednisolone Tapering Treatment in Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Study

    May 2023 in “ Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ”
    Hee Jeong Han, Han Seul Kim, Jin Cheol Kim, Jee Woong Choi
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    TLDR Younger patients and those with more hair loss are less likely to benefit from oral steroid treatment for hair loss, and low vitamin D may predict relapse.
    The retrospective study evaluated the efficacy of oral corticosteroid tapering treatment and investigated predictive factors for treatment response in Alopecia Areata (AA). The study included 136 patients treated with oral methylprednisolone from January 2017 to May 2022. Three-fourths of patients showed a good response to the 8-week tapering methylprednisolone treatment (ETMT). Patients older than 15 years were more likely to respond well to the treatment, while those with extensive alopecia were more likely to respond poorly. Among the good responders, 28.4% experienced a relapse, which occurred at an average of 5.5 months. Low vitamin D level was the only significant predictor of relapse. Adverse events occurred in 37.5% of patients but were reversed within 3 months of treatment. The study concluded that young age and extensive alopecia are predictive factors for poor response to ETMT, and vitamin D levels may help predict relapse.
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