A clinical study on alopecia areata (1996-2000)(VI)

Abstract

Background: Alopecia areata patients has recently increased in number. The clinical features and therapeutic results of alopecia areata are diverse and unpredictable. Objective: We, the authors, performed a study on alopecia areata in order to evaluate the clinical manifestations and compare the efficacies of treatment with intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide suspension, immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone(DPCP), and photochemotherapy with psoralen plus UVA(PUVA). Methods: A clinical study of 732 patients with alopecia areata including 33 cases of alopecia totalis and 46 cases of alopecia universalis was performed for 5 years, since March, 1996 to February, 2001 who visited to Alopecia Clinic at the Department of Dermatology, Collage of Medicine, Chung-Ang University. Results: 1) The age distribution showed a peak incidence in the third decade(29.1%) and the mean age was 26.8 years and 136 cases(18.6%) showed alopecia areata in patients below 10 years old. 2) Previous episodes of alopecia were observed in 173 cases(23.6%) and 58 cases(7,9%) had family history of alopecia areata. 3) The most common site was the occipital region in both male and female patients, which were 251 cases(38.4%) and 218 cases(33.4%) respectively. 4) Associated diseases with alopecia areata included seborrheic dermatitis(97 cases), allergic contact dermatitis(25 cases), liver disease(22 cases), hypertension(18 cases), diabetes mellitus(16 cases), urticaria(16 cases), atopic dermatitis(14 cases) and thyroid disease(8 cases). 5) The efficacies of treatment modality had no statistical differences in DPCP immunotherapy, intralesional triamcinolone injection or photochemothrapy. Conclusion: There was no noticeable differences compared to previous studies on alopecia areata, except that increasing tendency of severe, recurrent, and refractory alopecia areata and number of childhood patients.