Introduction Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is one of the most common causes of hair loss in women. Genetics plays an important role in the development of the disease, but the etiopathogenesis and the inheritance pattern in women remain unexplained. Aim To determine the extent to which FPHL is of genetic origin in women from the Polish population and whether a positive family history is a risk factor for its earlier onset. Material and methods Family histories of 111 unrelated female patients with FPHL and 129 female patients without hair thinning were analysed. FPHL was diagnosed based on a detailed medical history, the clinical picture and trichoscopic features. Results A positive family history was noted in 69 (62.2%) patients with FPHL. In 32 (28.8%) patients from that group, more than one person in the family suffered from hair loss, whereas in the healthy group, the same was true of only 4 patients (3.1%) ( p < 0.0001). A positive family history on the mother’s side proved statistically significant for FPHL patients. In the case of 20 (18%), hair loss had been identified in their grandparents, while the healthy group had a negative history in that respect. A positive family history of hair loss in grandparents was three times more frequent in the group of patients with the disease onset before 40. Conclusions A positive history on the mother’s side may be of great significance for FPHL development. Hair loss in more than one family member and in one’s grandparents may also indicate a higher risk of disease development.

Introduction: Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of non-cicatricial alopecia both in male and female patients. The mechanism that leads to hair loss is similar in both sexes, but the underlying cause, and especially the role of genes and sex hormones in the pathogenesis of the disease in women has not fully been explained as of yet. So far, a few attempts have been made to assess selected SNPs for CYP19A1 and ESR2 genes, but their results are not unequivocal and fully reproducible. Aim: To investigate the association of 13 CYP19A1 and 11 ESR2 gene SNPs with female androgenetic alopecia (FAGA) in a population of Polish patients, including some already genotyped SNPs of possible importance for FAGA pathophysiology in other populations. Material and methods: Twenty-four genetic polymorphisms were analysed for the ESR2 and CYP19A1 genes in 117 patients with FAGA and 128 healthy subjects treated at the Department of Dermatology in Krakow. Results: In the studied Polish population, none of the selected SNPs, frequently detected in the Caucasian population and linked with the transformation pathway of sex hormones, showed a significant association with FAGA. Conclusions: Further studies into the genetic background of androgenetic alopecia are needed. Ethnic differences as well as the size of the studied population may be of great significance for the obtained results.

Rogowce dłoni i stóp to grupa rzadkich chorób skóry związanych z zaburzeniami rogowacenia. Można je podzielić na wrodzone i nabyte. Palmoplantar keratoderma typu 1 Buschke-Fischer-Brauer (PPK BFB) należy do genodermatoz dziedziczonych w sposób autosomalny dominujący. Mutacja została zlokalizowana w loci 2 na chromosomach 15q22-15q24 i 8q24.13-8q24-21 i dotyczy genu AAGAB kodującego białko p34. W piśmiennictwie opisano związek rogowca dłoni i stóp z nowotworami, m.in. rakiem sutka, jelita grubego, wątroby, płuc, nerek, prostaty, chłoniakiem, a także rakiem kolczystokomórkowym skóry. W leczeniu ogólnym choroby obok typowych retinoidów stosowana jest też alitretynoina – retinoid o działaniu immunomodulującym i przeciwzapalnym oraz antyproliferacyjnym. W sytuacji gdy nie można zastosować leczenia ogólnego, pozostaje leczenie miejscowe.

Introduction Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of non-cicatricial hair loss both in male and female patients. The pathomechanism of the disease involves chronic and progressive miniaturization of hair follicles, which leads to the conversion of terminal hair to vellus hair. Minoxidil is a first-line drug in the treatment of female pattern hair loss (FPHL). Aim The study is aimed at verifying whether the degree of scalp vascularization has an impact on the efficacy of topical 5% minoxidil treatment. Material and methods The study involved a group of 76 patients diagnosed with FPHL, who underwent a scalp biopsy for a histological examination of their scalp vascularization. The patients were divided into two groups, with rich and poor scalp vasculature. In all patients, topical treatment with 5% minoxidil was applied for a minimum of 6 months, followed by video-trichoscopic assessment. Results A significant increase in the total count was observed 6 months into the treatment as compared with baseline, and a decrease in the number of single hair per follicle. It was observed that the number of single hair units had gone down in 50.67% of patients. The study also demonstrated an increase in the total hair count in 57.33% of patients as well as no drops in the total count in 68% of patients, following 6 months of treatment. Conclusions Patients responded equally well to the applied topical minoxidil treatment, irrespectively of the number of blood vessels in the scalp.

Introduction Primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) encompasses a heterogeneous group of inflammatory diseases characterized by the replacement of hair follicle structures by fibrous tissue. Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and lichen planopilaris (LPP) are the most common causes of scarring alopecia. The distinction between both entities is often challenging because of significant clinical and histopathological overlap. Aim We hypothesized that dendritic cells which are implicated in PCA pathogenesis can provide a reliable histopathological clue to distinguish between these two entities. Material and methods In a retrospective cohort study including 51 patients diagnosed with LPP and DLE we mapped and quantified the distribution of dendritic cells. Cell count in lesional skin was performed on immunohistochemistry by using characteristic monoclonal antibodies to specific subpopulations of dendritic cells. Results We demonstrated that almost all subpopulations of dendritic cells were highly expressed in lesional skin of discoid lupus erythematosus patients in comparison with lichen planopilaris ones. Conclusions In the light of this observation, dendritic cells might be used as an additional clue in differential diagnosis of PCA.