Upadacitinib for Successful Treatment of Alopecia Universalis in a Child: A Case Report and Literature Review

This case report describes a 14-year-old girl with alopecia universalis and mild atopic dermatitis who achieved complete hair regrowth and eczema resolution after three months of treatment with the JAK1 inhibitor upadacitinib.

This case report describes successful treatment of alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis in a pediatric patient using the Janus kinase 1 inhibitor upadacitinib, with significant hair growth improvements noted after six weeks.

This retrospective case series reported that pediatric patients with alopecia totalis and subtotalis experienced significant hair regrowth after treatment with the JAK inhibitor upadacitinib, with mild acne as the most common side effect; however, larger studies are needed to establish its efficacy and safety conclusively.

This article reviews the current FDA-approved treatments for severe pediatric alopecia areata, including the use of Janus kinase inhibitors, but reports no new clinical findings.

This study describes three cases where patients with recalcitrant alopecia areata achieved complete hair regrowth on the scalp after treatment with upadacitinib, suggesting it may be beneficial for similar cases, especially those with comorbid atopic dermatitis.