A Randomized Open Label Comparative Study of Hydroxychloroquine with Betamethasone Oral Minipulse in the Management of Patients with Alopecia Areata

The study compared the efficacy and tolerability of Hydroxychloroquine (400 mg/day) with Betamethasone oral minipulse (5 mg/day) in 60 patients with Alopecia areata over 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week follow-up. Both treatments significantly reduced hair loss severity and improved quality of life initially. However, during the follow-up, the Hydroxychloroquine group experienced more relapses and an increase in scores compared to the Betamethasone group. Adverse events and laboratory parameters showed no significant differences between the groups. Hydroxychloroquine was found to be efficacious and safe for managing Alopecia areata.