Scalp Biopsy Influences Diagnostic Accuracy and Treatment in Black Women With Alopecia: A Retrospective Study

The retrospective study examined the role of scalp biopsies in diagnosing and managing alopecia in Black women. The study involved 420 Black women over 18 years old diagnosed with alopecia from 2015 to 2020. The results showed that 34.5% of the patients were diagnosed with more than one type of alopecia, and 18.3% were not given a specific diagnosis. Only 9.5% of the patients underwent a biopsy, but it led to a change in diagnosis 70% of the time. The most common diagnosis after biopsy was central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (27.5%). The study concluded that scalp biopsies were very helpful in identifying appropriate diagnoses and guiding management. It recommended offering scalp biopsies to Black women with alopecia when the diagnosis is not clear-cut.