A case of lipedematous alopecia occurring in a male patient

A 30-year-old Japanese man presented with a thickening of the scalp and diffuse alopecia on the vertex. A skin biopsy specimen of the thickened scalp showed an increased thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue and a marked decrease in the number of hair follicles. By an MRI examination, the irregularly thickened subcutaneous fatty tissue was visualized. These findings indicated that the patient had been suffering from lipedematous alopecia. This is a rare condition characterized by diffuse alopecia due to the thickening of the layer of adipose tissue covering the scalp. Only 4 female cases of lipedematous alopecia have been reported previously. MRI is thought to be useful for the differentiation of lipedematous alopecia from lipoma. The present case is considered to present the first male patient with lipedematous alopecia.