Alopecia areata in children: an overview of clinical features and recent treatment options

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Abstract

Alopecia areata is a chronic relapsing autoimmune disease characterized by a local or diffuse non-scarring hair loss. Statistically, 0.2% of people worldwide are affected by alopecia areata and 1.7% were diagnosed with it at some point in life. The incidence of alopecia areata in children has been rapidly increasing in recent years.

The main role in pathogenesis of alopecia areata belongs to the loss of immune privilege due to the influence of genetics and various external factors. Follicles become vulnerable to the attack by patient’s own T-lymphocytes, which results in hair shedding. Some autoimmune and allergic diseases are known to be comorbidities of alopecia areata.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of trichoscopy results, besides there are some manifestation features in children which are different than in adults.

Currently, there are several promising drugs but the number of studies (regarding pediatric patients) is extremely limited. According to a number of authors, corticosteroids and Janus kinase inhibitors have shown their effectiveness and safety in the treatment of childhood alopecia areata, although they are not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the moment.

About the authors

Darya E. Fomina

I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: dshfom@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8547-9721

Student

Russian Federation, Moscow

Vladimir B. Pinegin

I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Author for correspondence.
Email: vbpinegin@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5159-1440
SPIN-code: 8699-4206

MD, Cand. Sci. (Med.), Associate Professor

Russian Federation, 8 build 2 Trubetskaya str., Moscow, 119048

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Copyright (c) 2023 Fomina D.E., Pinegin V.B.

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