Alopecia Areata, desencadenada por estrés psicológico y tratada con éxito con un inhibidor de las Janus quinasas. Reporte de un caso

Abstract

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes a non-healing form of hair loss. Stress is one of the crucial factors, which contributes to its development as it increases the corticotropin releasing hormone, creating an inflammatory environment and the immune privilege loss around the hair follicle. Case report: A 37-year-old woman with a history of alopecia areata, who presents progressive hair loss after a twin pregnancy announcement, which triggers a considerable level of psychological stress. The physical examination shows absence of hair on the entire body surface. Once lactation ended, treatment with topical corticosteroids and tofacitinib (janus kinase inhibitor) was started, resulting in hair recovery. Within the environmental factors that contribute to the development of alopecia areata, stress is one of the most important ones. Therefore, knowing about its physiopathology allows for the understanding of how stress triggers some autoimmune diseases, as well as why novel therapies including januskinase inhibitors are useful for treating them.