Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Lichen Planopilaris and Its Variants: A Retrospective Case Series Demonstrating Treatment Tolerability Without Koebnerization

June 2020 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”

Katerina Svigos, Lu Yin, Katharina S. Shaw, Daniel Gutiérrez, Erik Peterson, Kristen Lo Sicco, Jerry Shapiro

platelet-rich plasma lichen planopilaris frontal fibrosing alopecia fibrosing alopecia of a pattern distribution androgenetic alopecia koebnerization PRP LPP FFA FAPD AGA

TLDR Platelet-rich plasma is tolerable for lichen planopilaris and doesn't worsen the condition, but its effectiveness is unclear.

In a retrospective case series from NYU Langone Health, the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was evaluated in 10 patients with lichen planopilaris (LPP) and its variants, including frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) and fibrosing alopecia of a pattern distribution (FAPD). The patients, predominantly female with an average age of 57.4 years, underwent an average of four PRP treatments. Results showed that 4 patients experienced improvement, 3 had no change, 1 had disease progression, and 2 had indeterminate outcomes. Seven patients stopped PRP due to minimal improvement and personal preference. The study concluded that PRP is tolerable and does not cause koebnerization in LPP and its variants, and it may be considered for patients with concomitant androgenetic alopecia (AGA). However, the small sample size and concurrent use of multiple therapies limit the conclusions about PRP's specific effects, highlighting the need for more research.

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