Randomized Therapeutic Trial for Patients with Alopecia Areata
January 2010
TLDR Topical minoxidil, intralesional steroids, and cryotherapy significantly improve alopecia areata.
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of various treatments for alopecia areata. Significant improvement was observed in patients treated with topical minoxidil, intralesional steroids, and cryotherapy (90% each) compared to the placebo group (20%). Adverse effects were transient and did not affect patient compliance. However, the small sample size (n=10 per group) limited the statistical significance of other comparisons, indicating a need for larger studies. The number of patches and atopy did not significantly influence treatment outcomes, and atopy was the only significant association found (20%). There were no significant differences in age and gender distribution among the study groups.