Trichoscopy in alopecia areata

Introduction: The term “Trichoscopy” was coined in 2006 by Lidia Rudnicka and Malgorzata Olszewska and it was coined for dermoscopy of hair and scalp. On the basis of permanent damage to the hair follicles, hair loss can be cicatricial or scarring and non-cicatricial or non-scarring. The primary conditions which constitute non-cicatricial alopecia are Androgenetic alopecia [AGA], Alopecia areata [AA], Telogen effluvium [TE]. Non-scarring alopecias, are more amenable to treatment and will be the objects of this study, particularly AA. Material and Methods: It is a cross-sectional and observational study is suited for estimating the prevalence of each trichoscopic feature in AA. The study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga, Karnataka. The study was conducted between January 2020 to December 2020 with sample size of 100 patients. Results: In the 100 cases of AA, 95% had Patchy Alopecia Areata (PaAA), 2% had Alopecia Universalis (AU), 1% had Alopecia Totalis (AT) and 2% had Ophiasis pattern of AA. Hair pull test was positive in 14 patients (14%) and 61 patients (61%) had positive hair pull test at the periphery of the patches. The common trichoscopic features were black dots (66%), yellow dots (62%) and empty hair follicles (19%). The characteristic hair patterns were broken hair (81%), exclamation mark hair (87%) and vellus hair (43%). Conclusion: This study showed that among 100 patients AA, the most prevalent subtype is PaAA. Maximum number of patients were in the age group of 21 – 30 years. The characteristic follicular features of AA on Trichoscopy were black dots, yellow dots and empty hair follicles. The characteristic hair patterns were broken hair, exclamation mark hair, vellus hair.