Recalcitrant Alopecia Areata Responsive to Leflunomide and Anthralin—Potentially Undiscovered JAK/STAT Inhibitors?

The document discussed a case of a child with severe ophiasis-pattern alopecia areata (AA) that was unresponsive to steroid therapy. The child was successfully treated with a combination of leflunomide and anthralin, which might have worked through the inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway. This case suggested that this combination could be a cost-effective alternative to more expensive JAK inhibitors for treating recalcitrant AA.