Scalp Psoriasis: Alopecia and Treatment Challenges
January 2019
in “
Elsevier eBooks
”
TLDR Scalp psoriasis can cause different types of hair loss, with some patients developing permanent hair loss, and treatment may be stopped due to skin reactions.
The document from 2019 details that scalp psoriasis, affecting up to 80% of psoriasis patients, can lead to various types of alopecia, including patchy or diffuse hair loss, telogen effluvium, and scarring alopecia, with 75% of patients experiencing hair loss and 12% developing permanent scarring alopecia. It emphasizes the role of sebaceous gland atrophy in contributing to scarring alopecia and the challenges in differentiating scalp psoriasis from other conditions. The document also describes the impact of TNF-alpha blocker-induced psoriasiform alopecia, which involves a deep dermal infiltrate of immune cells, and the occurrence of genuine alopecia areata during TNF-alpha blocker therapy. Treatment options for scalp psoriasis include topical and systemic therapies, but severe cases may lead to discontinuation of treatment due to adverse skin reactions.
