Thermal Imaging and Dermoscopy for Detecting Inflammation in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

The study, conducted on 22 female patients with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA), evaluated the effectiveness of infrared thermography and optical dermoscopy in determining the activity of the inflammatory process in FFA. It found that thermography identified 77% of patients as having active FFA, which was more than the 64% identified through histological assessment. When combined with dermoscopy, the methods achieved a sensitivity of 64%, specificity of 88%, positive predictive value of 90%, and negative predictive value of 58% for diagnosing active FFA. The study concluded that infrared thermography, especially when used alongside dermoscopy, can enhance the accuracy of diagnosing the active phase of FFA, which is essential for appropriate treatment.