Frontal fibrosing alopecia

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia is the frontotemporal hairline recession and eyebrow loss in postmenopausal women that is associated with perifollicular erythema, especially along the hairline.[1]:648 It is considered to be a clinical variant of lichen planopilaris.[2]

Pathogenesis

Although the pathogenesis of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia is poorly understood, autoimmune reaction and hormonal factors may play a role.[3]

Clinical presentation

There is loss of both terminal and vellus hairs that occurs in a bandlike pattern on the frontotemporal scalp.[4] It is a scarring alopecia that has been associated with a loss of eyebrows, facial papules, glabellar red dots, and prominent venous vasculature in the forehead.[3][5][6][7] Facial hyperpigmentation may occur in dark-skinned patients, if association with lichen planus pigmentosus is present.[8]

Differential Diagnosis

Important diagnoses to consider include female pattern hair loss (FPHL), chronic telogen effluvium (CTE), and alopecia areata (AA). FPHL is a non-scarring progressive miniaturization of the hair follicle with one of three different characteristic patterns. CTE is an idiopathic disease causing increased hair shedding and bi-temporal recession, usually in middle aged women. AA is an autoimmune attack of hair follicles that usually causes hair to fall out in small round patches.[9]

Associations

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia has been most often reported in post-menopausal women with higher levels of affluence and a negative smoking history. Autoimmune disease is found in 30% of patients.[3][10]

Diagnostic Studies

Perifollicular erythema and scarring white patches are seen on dermoscopy. On scalp biopsy, lymphocytic and granulomatous perifolliculitis with eccentric atrophy of follicular epithelia and perifollicular fibrosis are visualized.[11]

Treatment

Improvement or stabilization of the condition has been reported with topical and intralesional corticosteroids, antibiotics, hydroxychloroquine, topical and oral immunomodulators, tacrolimus, and most recently, 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. In one study, the use of anti-androgens (finasteride or dutasteride) was associated with improvement in 47% and stabilization in 53% of patients [12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Freedberg, et al. (2003). Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-138076-0.
  2. ↑ Lacarrubba, F; Micali, G; Tosti, A (Mar 18, 2013). "Absence Of Vellus Hair In The Hairline: A Videodermatoscopic Feature Of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia.". The British journal of dermatology. 169 (2): 473–4. doi:10.1111/bjd.12316. PMID 23496000.
  3. 1 2 3 Macdonald A, Clark C, Holmes S. Frontal fibrosing alopecia: a review of 60 cases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012;67(5):955-61.
  4. ↑ Kossard S, Lee MS, Wilkinson B. Postmenopausal alopecia: a frontal variant of lichen planopilaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997;36(1):59.
  5. ↑ Banka N, Mubki T, Bunagan MJ, Mcelwee K, Shapiro J. Frontal fibrosing alopecia: a retrospective clinical review of 62 patients with treatment outcome and long-term follow-up. Int J Dermatol. 2014;53(11):1324-30.
  6. ↑ Pirmez R, Donati A, Valente NS, Sodré CT, Tosti A. Glabellar red dots in frontal fibrosing alopecia: a further clinical sign of vellus follicle involvement. Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(3):745-6.
  7. ↑ Vañó-galván S, Rodrigues-barata AR, Urech M, et al. Depression of the frontal veins: A new clinical sign of frontal fibrosing alopecia. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015;72(6):1087-8.
  8. ↑ Pirmez R, Duque-Estrada B, Donati A, Campos-do-Carmo G, Valente NS, Romiti R, Sodré CT, Tosti A. Clinical and dermoscopic features of lichen planus pigmentosus in 37 patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia. Br J Dermatol. 2016 May 28. doi: 10.1111/bjd.14722.
  9. ↑ Herskovitz I, Tosti A. Female pattern hair loss. Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;11(4):e9860.
  10. ↑ Kossard S. Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia: scarring alopecia in a pattern distribution. Arch Dermatol 1994;130:770-4.
  11. ↑ Dhurat R, Saraogi P. Hair evaluation methods: merits and demerits. Int J Trichology. 2009;1(2):108-19.
  12. ↑ Vañó-galván S, Molina-ruiz AM, Serrano-falcón C, et al. Frontal fibrosing alopecia: a multicenter review of 355 patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(4):670-8.
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