Decreased melanocyte counts in the upper hair follicle in frontal fibrosing alopecia compared to lichen planopilaris: a retrospective histopathologic study

Study of the Thyroid Profile of Patients with Alopecia

Thyroid hormones are required for the physiological growth and maintenance of hair follicles. We aim to study the thyroid profile of patients with alopecia. This is a narrative review. PubMed literature was searched from 2013 to 2022. We followed different types of alopecia: alopecia areata (AA), androgenic alopecia in males and females, telogen effluvium (TE), frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), lichen planopilaris, and alopecia neoplastica (AN). AA shares a common autoimmune background with autoimmune thyroid diseases, either sporadic or belonging to autoimmune polyglandular syndromes. Some data suggested that AA is more severe if thyroid anomalies are confirmed, including subclinical dysfunction or positive antithyroid antibodies with normal hormone values. However, routine thyroid screening for patients with AA, if the patients are asymptomatic from a thyroid point of view and they have negative personal and family history of autoimmunity, remains controversial. TE, apart from the autoimmune type, associates thyroid anomalies of a hormonal assay (between 5.7% and 17%). FFA, mostly a postmenopausal entity (however, not exclusive), associates a higher prevalence of thyroid conditions (up to 50%) than the general population. However, these might have an age-dependent pattern, thus the association may be incidental since there are a limited number of studies. Overall, alopecia remains a very challenging condition for patients and physicians; a multidisciplinary team is required to improve the outcome and quality of life. The common autoimmune background is suggestive of some types of alopecia and thyroid disorders, yet, the underlying mechanisms are still a matter of debate. AA, TE, FFA, LPP, and, potentially, female pattern hair loss have been found to be connected with thyroid entities, thus a state of awareness from a dual perspective, of trichology and endocrinology, is helpful.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Review

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a scarring alopecia, the prevalence of which is increasing worldwide since its first description in 1994. The reason for this emerging epidemic may be a higher exposure to an unknown trigger, although its aethiology and pathogenesis still remain enigmatic. Clinical, trichoscopic, sonographic, and histopathologic findings are allowing clinicians to understand more aspects about this type of cicatricial alopecia. Several treatments have been used in frontal fibrosing alopecia, although the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors seem to be the most promising. The aim of this report is to provide a compilation about the published data regarding frontal fibrosing alopecia in a narrative review.