Alopecia areata / spot baldness
patchy hair loss.
Causes
• Autoimmune
• Fungal (tinea capitis)
Types
• Alopecia totalis: characterized by complete loss of hair on scalp
• Alopecia universalis: involving the loss of all body hair.
Symptoms
Coined sized patchy hair loss mainly from scalp. Beard, eyelashes or other hair
growth areas can also be affected .
Diagnosis
• Clinical
• Trichoscopy: shows regularly distributed "yellow dots"
(hyperkeratotic plugs), small exclamation-mark hairs, and "black
dots" (destroyed hairs in the hair follicle opening)
• Skin biopsy
Treatment
No reliable cure , can regrow in some patients, can be permanent loss
in others.
If age under 10: topical corticosteroids+/- topical 5% minoxidil
Age over 10 years: less than 50% scalp involved: topical
corticosteroids +/- intralesional +/- topical 5% minoxidil, if no
response than topical immunotherapy
More than 50% scalp involved:
• Topical immunotherapy with DPCP, SADBE on no response
• JAKI intralesional corticosteroids, topical immunotherapy on no
response
• Scalp prosthesis
patchy hair loss.
Causes
• Autoimmune
• Fungal (tinea capitis)
Types
• Alopecia totalis: characterized by complete loss of hair on scalp
• Alopecia universalis: involving the loss of all body hair.
Symptoms
Coined sized patchy hair loss mainly from scalp. Beard, eyelashes or other hair
growth areas can also be affected .
Diagnosis
• Clinical
• Trichoscopy: shows regularly distributed "yellow dots"
(hyperkeratotic plugs), small exclamation-mark hairs, and "black
dots" (destroyed hairs in the hair follicle opening)
• Skin biopsy
Treatment
No reliable cure , can regrow in some patients, can be permanent loss
in others.
If age under 10: topical corticosteroids+/- topical 5% minoxidil
Age over 10 years: less than 50% scalp involved: topical
corticosteroids +/- intralesional +/- topical 5% minoxidil, if no
response than topical immunotherapy
More than 50% scalp involved:
• Topical immunotherapy with DPCP, SADBE on no response
• JAKI intralesional corticosteroids, topical immunotherapy on no
response
• Scalp prosthesis
