A Cross-Sectional Observational Study Showing Sebaceous Glands Differences Between Psoriatic Alopecia and Alopecia Areata

February 2024 in “ JAAD International ”

Betty Nguyen, Curtis Thompson, Antonellá Tosti

sebaceous glands psoriatic alopecia alopecia areata sebocytes gland size biopsies

Studysummary Sebaceous gland maturity and size differ between psoriatic alopecia and alopecia areata.

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This study compared sebaceous gland characteristics in psoriatic alopecia and alopecia areata (AA) using biopsies from 40 Caucasian patients in Italy. It found significant differences in sebocyte maturity and gland size between the two conditions. In psoriatic alopecia, only 29.8% of sebocytes were mature, compared to 87.4% in AA. Additionally, sebaceous glands in AA were 50% larger than those in psoriatic alopecia. These findings suggest that the maturity of sebocytes and gland size can help distinguish between psoriatic alopecia and AA, potentially preventing misdiagnosis of AA in patients with psoriasis. Further research is recommended to explore these features in a broader range of AA cases.

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Research cited in this study

4 / 4 results

research Alopecia Areata-Like Pattern: A New Unifying Concept

4 citations , September 2020 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology”

research A Study of the Histopathological Features of Alopecias on Transverse Sections of Scalp Biopsies

3 citations , January 2019 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology”

This study observed that transverse sectioning of scalp biopsies may aid in diagnosing different types of alopecia by revealing distinct histopathological features like follicle miniaturization and specific inflammatory patterns.

research Psoriatic Alopecia

41 citations , July 2015 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology”

This review explores the connection between psoriasis and hair loss, noting that both the disease and its treatments can contribute to alopecia, and reports no new clinical results.

A Morphometric and Histologic Study of the Scalp in Psoriasis: Paradoxical Sebaceous Gland Atrophy and Decreased Hair Shaft Diameters Without Alopecia

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15 citations , May 1989 in “PubMed”

This study found that in patch- and plaque-stage scalp psoriasis, sebaceous gland atrophy and reduced hair follicle size were common but there was no evidence of alopecia.