Treatment of therapy-resistant Alopecia areata with fumaric acid esters

Alopecia areata is a cosmetically very disfiguring clinical picture and can be a great emotional burden to the patient, especially when persisting for a longer period of time.

10 patients with an alopecia resistant to therapy were treated within the bounds of an open, non-placebo controlled pilot study with fumaric acid esters (FAE's, Fumaderm) for a period of six months and a maximum dose of 120 mg dimethylfumarate per day. The shortest space of time between persistent Alopecia areata and the start of the therapy with FAE was between six months and 17 years.

Six patients took benefit from the six months therapy with FAE. In three of them very good results could be observed, presenting an almost entire remission, one patient showed a good success with a focal remission. With two patients a mediocre to moderate outcome was observed with growth of partly diffuse spread or very thin hair. Four patients took no benefit from the FAE therapy at all.

FAE can be useful in the treatment of therapy-resistant Alopecia areata. This therapy approach should be validated in a multi-centre study.