Pulse Corticosteroid Therapy for Alopecia Areata in Children: A Retrospective Study
January 2013
in “
Dermatology
”
TLDR Careful patient selection is key for effective pulse corticosteroid treatment in children with alopecia areata.
This retrospective study investigated the effectiveness and side effects of intravenous high-dose pulse corticosteroids in 24 children with alopecia areata. The treatment involved 8 mg/kg body weight intravenous methylprednisolone administered over 3 consecutive days at 1-month intervals. Results showed that 38% of patients had a complete response, 29% had a partial response, and 33% had no response. Among responders, 81% relapsed within an average of 9.5 months. Side effects were noted in 3 patients but were not severe. Positive prognostic factors included short disease duration (≤6 months), younger age at onset (<10 years), and multifocal disease. The study concluded that careful patient selection is crucial for maximizing the benefits of pulse corticosteroid treatment in children with alopecia areata.