Korean J Dermatol.
2011 May;49(5):436-439.
Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia with Partial Improvement after Systemic Steroid Administration and Topical Calcineur in Inhibitor Application
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Dematology, Institute of Hair & Cosmetic Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea. leewonsoo@yonsei.ac.kr
Abstract
- Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a rare subtype of cicatricial alopecia. It was first described in 1994 by Kossard as postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia. Patients who suffer from FFA show typical frontal hairline recession, and most patients experience eyebrow loss. It usually affects mainly post-menopausal women but the hormonal change due to menopause is unclear. Etiology of FFA is not clear, but it is assumed that certain autoantigens in the frontal and eyebrow hair follicles play a key role in its pathogenesis. There is no optimal treatment thus far. However, recently, topical calcineurin inhibitor was shown to be effective in early stage FFA via follicular targeted T-cell inhibition. Here, we report a case of a premenopausal 50-year-old female patient suffering from FFA displaying typical clinical features and minimal fibrosis around follicles by histological examination, which were improved by treatment with short-term systemic steroid and long-term topical calcineurin inhibitor.
