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IMPORTANCE Alopecia universalis is an uncommon form of alopecia areata (AA) involving hair loss over the entire scalp and body and is often difficult to treat. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)inhibitors have been largely unsuccessful in treating AA and have been reported to induce or worsen AA in patients.We report herein a case of alopecia universalis successfully treated with adalimumab and discuss the possible mechanism.OBSERVATIONS A woman in her 30s with alopecia universalis, refractory to multiple treatment modalities, was successfully treated with adalimumab.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Tumor necrosis factor has multiple important roles in the pathogenesis of AA, and its interplay with other cytokines, specifically interferons, may be responsible for the development of AA in patients treated with TNF inhibitors.Pharmacogenetics and the inherent physiologic levels of TNF may explain why TNF inhibitors cause AA in some individuals, while treating AA in others. These conclusions warrant further investigation on this subject.

Connective-tissue disorders, which include lupus erythematosus, morphoea/scleroderma and dermatomyositis, are characterized by cutaneous manifestations that are sometimes resistant to conventional therapy. Light treatments, which include phototherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photopheresis, are routinely utilized in the treatment of dermatological conditions and may provide unique mechanisms of action in the treatment of these connective-tissue disorders. The objective of this study is to conduct a review of the literature that describes the use of phototherapy, PDT and photopheresis in the treatment of lupus erythematosus, morphoea/scleroderma and dermatomyositis. A MEDLINE search was conducted to find articles that discuss treatment of connective-tissue diseases with light therapies and more than 30 publications that discuss light therapy for these diseases were identified. These range in design from case reports to randomized, prospective trials. Study outcomes and details were summarized and presented within each connective-tissue disease by light therapy modality, which includes phototherapy, PDT and photopheresis. Although there is a known association between photosensitivity and connective-tissue diseases, light therapies, when used appropriately, may be legitimate therapeutic options for recalcitrant cutaneous manifestations in lupus erythematosus, morphoea/scleroderma and dermatomyositis.

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