Tofacitinib Therapy for Children with Severe Alopecia Areata

The document described a study evaluating tofacitinib, a JAK inhibitor, for treating severe alopecia areata in children aged 5 years or younger. Conducted at Taipei Veterans General Hospital from January 2016 to January 2018, the study included three pediatric patients with at least 50% scalp hair loss who had not responded to previous treatments and had been on tofacitinib for a minimum of 4 months. The treatment led to one patient achieving over 90% hair regrowth after 12 months, while the other two patients showed more than 50% improvement by 6 and 21 months. Mild side effects like diarrhea and upper respiratory infections were reported but resolved without discontinuing the therapy. The study suggested tofacitinib as a potential treatment option for children with severe AA, emphasizing the need for careful risk-benefit discussions due to the serious potential adverse effects of JAK inhibitors. However, the study's conclusions are limited by the small sample size of only three patients.