A Randomized, Open Label Comparative Study of Hydroxychloroquine with Betamethasone Oral Mini Pulse in the Management of Patients with Alopecia Areata

In a study conducted on 60 patients with alopecia areata, the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (200 mg/day) were compared to betamethasone oral mini pulse (OMP) therapy (5 mg/day on two consecutive days of the week) over a 12-week treatment period and a 12-week follow-up. Both treatments showed a significant reduction in the Scale of Alopecia Tool (SALT) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores at 12 weeks. However, by 24 weeks, the group treated with hydroxychloroquine experienced an increase in these scores, indicating a loss of treatment effect and more relapses compared to the betamethasone group. There was no significant difference in adverse events between the two groups. The study concluded that hydroxychloroquine is less effective than betamethasone OMP therapy in managing alopecia areata.