Alopecia areata and Down syndrome

The skin of 214 institutionalized patients with the Down syndrome was carefully examined. There were 19 cases of alopecia areata and four cases of vitiligo. Since persons with the Down syndrome are predisposed to immunological deficiency in thymus-dependent (T-cell) function, findings from the skin examinations suggest that immunologic factors might contribute to the increased incidence of vitiligo and alopecia areata seen in the Down syndrome. Syringoma was also common and affected female patients twice as frequently as male patients.