TLDR A targetoid hair regrowth pattern indicates recovery in alopecia areata.
The study conducted at Baghdad Teaching Hospital observed a targetoid polycyclic concentric hair regrowth pattern in 7 male patients aged 4 to 25 years undergoing treatment for alopecia areata. This pattern, characterized by rings of hair growth alternating with rings of little or no hair growth, appeared 2 to 4 weeks after therapy with IM triamcinolone, topical clobetasone, and zinc sulfate. The targetoid pattern was considered a positive sign of immunological recovery, although its exact etiopathogenesis was not fully understood.
10 citations
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September 2014 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Understanding alopecia areata's patterns can improve future research and treatments.
110 citations
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December 2013 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings” Alopecia areata is a genetic and immune-related hair loss condition that is often associated with other autoimmune diseases and does not typically cause permanent damage to hair follicles.
7 citations
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August 2013 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Less than a quarter of alopecia areata cases were unusual forms or had paradoxical regrowth.
8 citations
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January 2013 in “International journal of trichology” Two people had unusual ring-shaped hair loss due to an autoimmune disorder.
5 citations
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February 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Two red-haired men with alopecia areata regrew black hair instead of red.
26 citations
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January 2009 in “Annals of Dermatology” Two rare bald spots on the back of the scalp were found to be lupus, not alopecia areata.
148 citations
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December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations
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November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.