1-Year Hospital-Based Observational Study of Trichoscopy Findings and Disease Activity in Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic, non-scarring type of alopecia that presents as patchy hair loss over the scalp and other parts of the body. The diagnosis of AA can sometimes be challenging. Trichoscopy can be used to observe certain follicular patterns, shaft changes, and interfollicular pattern which help in diagnosing and determining the disease activity in AA.

This study was a 1-year hospital-based observational cross-sectional study consisting of 60 patients clinically diagnosed with AA. Trichoscopic examination of the scalp and hair was performed using a videodermatoscope-Dinolite premier AM4113ZT model, trichoscopic images were recorded, and results were analyzed statistically.

AA was more common in males 39/60 cases (65%) with male to female ratio of 1.85:1. Scalp was the most frequently involved site, seen in 52/60 cases (86.67%) and patchy alopecia was the most frequent clinical pattern of presentation (83.33%). The characteristic follicular features noted were black dots, yellow dots, and empty hair follicles. Black dots were the commonest finding (63.33%) and represented a marker for active disease. The characteristic hair patterns noted were broken hair, micro-exclamation mark hair, coudability hair, all of which were commonly seen in active cases. 72% of cases that had clinically inactive disease showed active disease on trichoscopy.

Trichoscopic features of AA are characteristic and they not only provide an important clue to the diagnosis in doubtful cases but also help in assessing disease activity in AA.