Trichoscopic patterns of nonscarring alopecia's

Abstract

Background: Hair loss (alopecia) is a common problem and is a major cause of psychological stress and anxiety among affected individuals. It is of utmost importance to diagnose these cases at the earliest and treat them accordingly. Trichoscopy provides a noninvasive option that can be used for early diagnosis and monitoring the progression of the hair disorders. Aims and Objectives: To perform trichoscopy and document the findings in patients with nonscarring alopecia's. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 cases satisfying the inclusion criteria were screened for general physical examination and scalp examination including hair shaft and root, and tests for hair anchorage and fragility were also done. The lesions were examined through dermoscope, photographs were taken, and findings were documented. Results: Among the total of 100 cases screened, 57 were female and 43 were male. The mean age of the study group was 26 ± 14.8 years. Females were affected by alopecia areata (AA) and female pattern hair loss (29.8%) equally, whereas males were most commonly affected by AA (41.8%). The common trichoscopic follicular features noted were broken hair (48%), black dots (48%), single hair follicle unit (45%), short vellus hair (44%), upright hair (41%), and yellow dots (40%). The common interfollicular features seen were honeycomb pigmentation (26%) and arborizing red lines (12%). Conclusion: The emergence of newer hair signs on trichoscopic studies aids in identification and has a definitive role in the diagnosis of clinically difficult cases, so it is recommended to use trichoscopy in the routine examination of nonscarring alopecia's.

Trichoscopy pattern in alopecia areata: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…56 As for the continental distribution of these studies, 10 studies were conducted in Europe 14,23,26,29,39,46,48,49,51,56 ; three studies were conducted in Africa 27,33,34 ; and 26 studies were conducted in Asia. 13,[20][21][22]24,25,28,[30][31][32][35][36][37][38][40][41][42][43][44][45]47,50,[52][53][54][55] There were 30 studies conducted on adults, 14,[20][21][22][23][24][25][28][29][30][31]…”

“…As for included study designs, there were 29 cross‐sectional, 13,20–47 five retrospective 48–52 , two descriptive, 53,54 one case series, 55 one observational, 14 and one cohort study 56 . As for the continental distribution of these studies, 10 studies were conducted in Europe 14,23,26,29,39,46,48,49,51,56 ; three studies were conducted in Africa 27,33,34 ; and 26 studies were conducted in Asia 13,20–22,24,25,28,30–32,35–38,40–45,47,50,52–55 . There were 30 studies conducted on adults, 14,20–25,28–32,35–45,47,48,52–56 while six studies were conducted on children, 13,26,27,33,34,49 and three studies were conducted on both adults and children 46,50,51 …”

“…Arborizing red lines, which are the papillary loops and the underlying vascular plexus, were described in several studies; however, they can also be seen on the normal scalp, particularly in the temporal and occipital areas. 23,29,30,39,43,44,48 Ross et al 48 and Park et al 30 displayed a simple red loop that can also be found on a normal scalp, especially in the temporal and occipital regions, representing the papillary loops and the underlying vascular plexus. Also, Shim et al 28 and Kibar et al 29 demonstrated atypical red vessels in AA patients.…”

“…Arborizing red lines, which are the papillary loops and the underlying vascular plexus, were described in several studies; however, they can also be seen on the normal scalp, particularly in the temporal and occipital areas 23,29,30,39,43,44,48 …”

“…Al‐Refu 13 found that yellow dots, tapering hairs, and short vellus hairs are specific to AA. Govindarajulu et al 43 . found that the most specific markers for AA were black dots, tapering hairs, and broken hairs.…”