Scalp Bacterial Profile and Antibiotics Susceptibility Pattern in Patients With Primary Cicatricial Alopecia

The study examined bacterial colonization and antibiotic resistance in 161 subjects, including 68 with primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) and 93 controls. It found a higher prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (24.3%) and S. lugdunensis (8.1%) in PCA patients, while S. capitis (54.5%) was more common in controls. PCA patients also had more Gram-negative bacteria, particularly Klebsiella spp. PCA samples showed significant resistance to antibiotics like benzylpenicillin, fusidic acid, and clindamycin, with 15% of S. aureus isolates being methicillin-resistant in neutrophilic PCA cases. The study emphasizes the need for bacterial culture and susceptibility testing for effective PCA treatment and suggests further research to explore bacterial roles in PCA pathogenesis.