Upadacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata and Severe Atopic Dermatitis in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report

January 2022 in “ SAGE open medical case reports ”

Adrienn N. Bourkas, Cathryn Sibbald

upadacitinib alopecia areata atopic dermatitis Janus kinase 1 inhibitor topical corticosteroids spironolactone

From the encyclopedia

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

powerful topical and oral anti-androgen used mostly by women

Studysummary This case report describes successful treatment of alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis in a pediatric patient using the Janus kinase 1 inhibitor upadacitinib, with significant hair growth improvements noted after six weeks.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

This case report details the first successful use of the Janus kinase 1 inhibitor upadacitinib to treat alopecia areata and severe atopic dermatitis in a pediatric patient. The patient showed minimal response to topical corticosteroids and spironolactone, but significant improvements in hair growth on the scalp and body were observed after just 6 weeks of upadacitinib treatment.

View this study on journals.sagepub.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

5 / 5 results

research The JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway: From Bench to Clinic

489 citations , November 2021 in “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy”

This review discusses the composition, activation, and regulation of the JAK/STAT pathway and highlights its role and inhibitors in various diseases, but reports no new experimental results.

research A Comprehensive Literature Review of JAK Inhibitors in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

40 citations , June 2021 in “Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology”

This review explores the efficacy and outcomes of using JAK inhibitors for treating alopecia areata, noting advancements in understanding the disease's pathomechanisms and suggesting that JAK inhibitors may offer targeted therapeutic benefits by blocking specific inflammatory pathways involved in this chronic condition.

research Targeting the Janus Kinase Family in Autoimmune Skin Diseases

124 citations , October 2019 in “Frontiers in Immunology”

This review discusses the role of the JAK-STAT pathway in autoimmune skin diseases and suggests potential therapeutic benefits of JAK inhibitors, but reports no new experimental results.

research JAK Inhibitors for Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

130 citations , February 2019 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

This study found that JAK inhibitors for alopecia areata showed promising response rates, with 72.4% of 289 cases responding, and oral administration achieving better outcomes than topical treatment, but recurrence occurred when treatment stopped. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.

research JAK Inhibitors in Dermatology: The Promise of a New Drug Class

355 citations , January 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This review reports no new results and highlights existing research suggesting JAK inhibitors may be effective in treating inflammatory skin conditions like alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and vitiligo.