[Psychic factors in case histories of patients with alopecia areata--preliminary report]

We tested the significance of psychic factors in the etiopathogenesis of alopecia areata. We analysed the patient on the basis of a detailed examination based on the case history, including important events in his/her life, personality traits, serious events and the loss of emotional attachment. General important events happened to 80% of the patients, personality traits able to cause the disease were present in 73%, serious events in 62% and the loss of emotional attachment was also found in 62% of the patients. We tested 60 patients (31 women and 29 men). The evidence obtained from the detailed examination based on case histories indicated significantly frequent occurrence of the psychic factors preceding the occurrence of alopecia areata.