Alopecia areata is a common, chronic, inflammatory disease causing non‐scarring hair loss of scalp and/or body. The severity ranges from few small patches to generalized alopecia, where the former shows good prognosis and the later have poor prognosis for hair regrowth. Incidence in general population is 0.1%-0.2%. It can occur at any age, but peak age of onset is between 2nd and 4th decade of life. The frequency of AA is almost equal in both sex. Characteristic dermoscopic features of AA are yellow dots and or black dots, broken hair, tapering hair (exclamation marks) and short vellus hair. Alopecia areata is also associated with several autoimmune diseases like Vitiligo vulgaris, Lichen planus, hypothyroidism, Morphoea, etc.
Aim: To identify the markers associated with severe forms of Alopecia Areata in pediatric patients.
Material and Methods: It was hospital based cross sectional study of 24 patients of Alopecia Areata of pediatric age group who attended the skin OPD between June 2018 to December 2018. Dermoscopic examination findings, clinic epidemiological data, nail findings and history of autoimmune disease were obtained from the patients.
Results: Out of 24 pediatrics patients, 12 were females and 12 males. It was also observed that 8 out of 12 female patient were of oophiatic or subtotalis pattern, where as only 6 out of 12 male children had the oophiatic/subtotalis pattern. Early age of onset and dermoscopic findings such as black dots and yellow dots were observed more frequently in female patients.
Conclusions: Female patients with early age of onset are more prone to develop severe Alopecia Areata, denoting poor prognosis in AA.
Impact Factor
2022: 6.012
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