Trichoscopy in Common Scalp Alopecia: An Observational Study

In the observational study conducted by Krishnendra Varma, Ujjwal Singh, and Manu Kataria at R.D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, India, 269 patients with alopecia aged 18-50 years were examined using trichoscopy, a non-invasive diagnostic tool, over a period of one year. The study found that 45.4% of patients were diagnosed with alopecia areata, with yellow dots being the most common trichoscopic finding in 88.5% of these patients. Androgenetic alopecia was diagnosed in 37.2% of patients, all of whom showed hair diameter diversity >20%. Telogen effluvium was diagnosed in 9.3% of patients, with short vellus hair seen in 64% of these cases. Seborrheic dermatitis, lichen planopilaris, and discoid lupus erythematosus were diagnosed in 3.7%, 2.9%, and 0.9% of patients respectively. The study concluded that trichoscopy is a reliable diagnostic tool for hair and scalp disorders and should be used in every case of alopecia.