Choice of Treatment for Severe Forms of Alopecia Areata: Case Reports

April 2025 in “ Vestnik dermatologii i venerologii ”

Yu. A. Gallyamova

alopecia areata glucocorticosteroids Janus kinase inhibitors tofacitinib alopecia universalis AA GCS JAK inhibitors

TLDR JAK inhibitors like tofacitinib are effective and safer for severe alopecia areata than glucocorticosteroids.

This document discusses the treatment of severe forms of alopecia areata (AA) using glucocorticosteroids (GCS) and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK inhibitors), specifically tofacitinib. The study highlights the challenges of using high-dose GCS due to significant side effects and limited success rates. Three case reports are presented: a 28-year-old with severe AA, a 35-year-old with total alopecia, and a 52-year-old with alopecia universalis. The first case showed initial improvement with GCS but relapsed upon dose reduction. The second and third cases demonstrated successful hair regrowth with tofacitinib, with minimal side effects. The findings suggest that JAK inhibitors like tofacitinib are effective and safer alternatives for treating severe AA, offering sustained hair regrowth and fewer adverse effects compared to traditional GCS therapy.

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Research cited in this study

1 / 1 results

research An Overview of JAK/STAT Pathways and JAK Inhibition in Alopecia Areata

40 citations, August 2022 in “Frontiers in immunology”

Blocking JAK/STAT pathways can help treat hair loss from alopecia areata.

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