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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
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Skin Care and Diseases |
Alopecia Areata07/30/1999 |
I would like to find the most current information on alopecia areata.
Alopecia areata is a form of non-scarring alopecia that often occurs rapidly. It may be localized to the scalp hair as small patches or diffuse hair loss. Other forms may be generalized so that all hair is lost. Nails may be involved with pitting and in some cases with significant change in the quality of the fingernails and toenails. The cause of alopecia areata is unknown. It is known that T-lymphocytes do surround the hair bulb and cause it to move into arresting phase with loss of the hair. These hair follicles may remain permanently inactive, or more likely will slowly return to hair production. There have been many case reports suggesting that this group of disorders known as alopecia areata may be related to stress, to viral infections, and to immune abnormalities elsewhere in the patient`s body. Recognize that none of these proposed causes stands up under intense scrutiny in all cases. We do not know the etiology of the disorder.Localized alopecia areata which frequently occurs on the back of the scalp and over the temples and occasionally on the crown of the head, frequently resolves spontaneously only to recur weeks, months, or years later having a rather transient nature. Diffuse thinning of the scalp in alopecia areata which is more commonly seen in women has a very uncertain prognosis, but it has been associated with spontaneous remission. Generalized alopecia areata in which scalp hairs, eyebrows, eyelashes and body hair are lost has a very unfavorable prognosis in that the hair is unlikely to regrow spontaneously. As with all diseases in which we are unsure of etiology there are exceptions to each and every observation. Some patients get total regrowth, others do not.
Treatment for alopecia areata as you might expect is broad-based and not focused. Patients have been reported to respond to vasodilating drugs, to primary irritants, to contact sensitizing drugs, to psoralens and ultraviolet light A, and to topical, intralesional and systemic cortisone-like drugs with varying reported improvements. Many physicians combine these medications and report varying degrees of improvement and success.
In summary, alopecia areata is a nonscarring hair loss problem with significant cosmetic impact. Its cause is unknown and its treatments are quite varied. For those individuals who have had little or no success with hair regrowth, cosmetic prostheses are available.
For a running commentary, support group, help, and monthly updates on observations about alopecia areata I would suggest you contact the Alopecia Areata Foundation, P.O. Box 150760, San Rafael, California 94915-0760 / Phone: (415)456-4644 / Fax: (415)456-4272 / E-Mail: naaf@compuserve.com
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Charles L. Heaton, MD Professor Department of Dermatology College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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