Scarring Alopecias: Pathology and an Update on Digital Developments

November 2021 in “ Biomedicines ”

Donna M. Cummins, Iskander H. Chaudhry, Matthew Harries

TLDR New digital tools are improving the diagnosis and understanding of irreversible hair loss conditions.

The document "Scarring Alopecias: Pathology and an Update on Digital Developments" discusses the challenges in diagnosing primary cicatricial alopecias (PCA), irreversible hair loss conditions due to the destruction and fibrosis of hair follicles. It emphasizes the importance of communication between the clinician, laboratory, and histopathologist, and the use of special stains in diagnosis. The document also discusses the North American Hair Research Society's classification of PCA, the speculated pathogenesis of cicatricial alopecia, and the histopathology of PCAs. It provides details on various types of scarring alopecias, including Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA), Pseudopelade of Brocq (PsB), and Folliculitis decalvans. The document also highlights the potential of digital pathology, specifically Whole Slide Imaging (WSI), in improving specialist hair loss services and the potential of artificial intelligence in advancing digital technologies in the field of hair loss.

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Research cited in this study

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