Tricoscopia en la alopecia areata: descripción de 10 casos

Abstract

IntroductionAlopecia areata is a non-scarring alopecia of the autoimmune type characterized by an abrupt arrest of the follicular cycle, which can affect any hairy area. The diagnosis is clinical and trichoscopic, the latter with a fundamental role not only in diagnosing the disease, but also in determining its evolutionary stage, assessing signs of activity, remission, or chronicity, which makes it a fundamental tool in follow-up of our patients. Materials and methodsThe study includes 10 patients diagnosed with alopecia areata (AA) based on clinical history, physical examination, and trichoscopic findings. All trichoscopic images were obtained using a x10 magnification handheld dermatoscope (DermLite DL4) and an attached cell phone that increased magnification to x15 (Iphone 12, apple). They were reviewed retrospectively, the elements identified in each case were highlighted and a descriptive statistical analysis was performed. ResultsThe following elements were observed: black dots (80%), yellow dots (60%), exclamation mark hair (60%), broken hairs (60%), pigtail or circular hairs (40%), gray hairs (40%), repopulation straight hairs (30%), tapered hairs (10%), Pohl-Pinkus constrictions (10%), and white dots (10%). ConclusionsBlack dots, exclamation mark hairs, and yellow dots were the most frequent findings in our series. Blackheads, broken hairs, and exclamation point hairs were positively correlated with active disease.