Retrospective Review of Folliculitis Decalvans in 23 Patients with Course and Treatment Analysis of Long-Standing Cases

The retrospective review of 23 patients with folliculitis decalvans (FD) from 1998 to 2012 revealed that initial treatments primarily included intralesional triamcinolone acetonide, clobetasol lotion, and antibiotics such as cephalexin, minocycline, doxycycline, or tetracycline. Alternative treatments included rifampicin, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, and isotretinoin. More than half of the patients achieved remission within weeks to months, with a low relapse rate. However, patients with poor response experienced temporary improvements and multiple relapses. The study concluded that most patients showed improvement and remission with oral antibiotics, although some required years of slow tapering before discontinuation, and a few had minimal response to both initial and alternative treatments.