Feature Characterization of Scarring and Non-Scarring Types of Alopecia by Multiphoton Microscopy
March 2018
Studysummary This study shows that multiphoton microscopy can non-invasively distinguish scarring from non-scarring alopecia by identifying specific morphological features in hair follicle structures. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study explored the use of multiphoton microscopy (MPM) as a non-invasive method to image the scalp and distinguish between scarring and non-scarring types of alopecia. It involved 5 healthy subjects and 12 patients with different types of alopecia. MPM allowed for in vivo imaging of hair follicles and surrounding structures, identifying features such as sebaceous glands in non-scarring alopecia and miniaturized hair follicles with macrophages and lymphocytes in scarring alopecia. The study found that hair follicle diameters were significantly smaller in scarring alopecia compared to non-scarring alopecia and normal scalps, suggesting MPM could effectively differentiate between these conditions.
