The Efficacy of Azelaic Acid 20% Cream in the Treatment of Scalp Alopecia Areata

The research paper titled "The Efficacy of Azelaic Acid 20% Cream in the Treatment of Scalp Alopecia Areata" conducted a study on 30 patients from Erbil Dermatology Teaching Center, divided into two groups. Group A, consisting of 15 patients, was treated with topical clobetasol propionate 0.05% cream, while Group B, also with 15 patients, was treated with topical azelaic acid 20% cream. Both groups were followed up for around twelve weeks with monthly check-up visits. The results showed that the severity of alopecia tool score for both groups at the 12-week visit was significantly lower than the baseline visit (group A, p=0.007, group B, p=0.036). The study concluded that topical azelaic acid cream 20% has an acceptable efficacy in comparison to topical clobetasol ointment 0.05% in the treatment of localized alopecia areata of the scalp and can be considered as a therapeutic option for this condition.