The Safety and Efficacy of Diphencyprone for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Children

The study evaluated the safety and efficacy of diphencyprone (DPCP) for treating alopecia areata in 108 children aged 4 months to 18 years. Results showed that 13% of patients had complete hair regrowth after 6 months, dropping to 11% at 12 months, while 25% had partial regrowth at 6 months, decreasing to 21% at 12 months. Adverse effects were more common in younger children, with 71% of those under 10 experiencing side effects compared to 44% of older children. Despite some improvement in hair density, only 10% achieved complete regrowth, and adverse effects led to treatment discontinuation in a minority of cases. The study highlighted the need for further large-scale research due to its limitations, including the small sample size and retrospective design.