Clinical and Histological Study of Permanent Alopecia After Bone Marrow Transplantation

December 2015 in “ Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia ”

Flávia Machado Alves Basílio, Fabiane Mulinari Brenner, Betina Werner, Graziela Junges Crescente Rastelli

permanent alopecia bone marrow transplantation myeloablative chemotherapy chronic graft-versus-host disease induction chemotherapy non-scarring alopecia androgenetic alopecia scarring alopecia lichen planopilaris busulfan BMT GVHD

TLDR Permanent hair loss after bone marrow transplant can be caused by chemotherapy or chronic graft-versus-host disease.

The study examined permanent alopecia in 7 patients aged 12-58 who had undergone bone marrow transplantation (BMT). It aimed to distinguish between alopecia caused by myeloablative chemotherapy and that resulting from chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The patients developed alopecia after induction chemotherapy, with symptoms persisting for over 6 months post-BMT. Histological examination showed two patterns: a non-scarring pattern resembling androgenetic alopecia in 5 patients, and a scarring pattern similar to lichen planopilaris in 2 patients. The non-scarring pattern was linked to chemotherapy, particularly busulfan, while the scarring pattern was associated with chronic GVHD. The findings suggest that permanent alopecia post-BMT may be caused by the chemotherapeutic agents used or by chronic GVHD, enhancing the understanding of the condition's pathogenesis and informing potential treatments.

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