Congenital alopecia areata.

Dermatology Department, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Alopecia areata, the alleged autoimmune process leading to nonscarring hair loss, is not uncommon. It has been classified as an acquired cause of alopecia; however, recently it has been reported in the neonatal period. We report 4 cases of congenital alopecia areata with follow-up from 3 to 5 years. The diagnosis was made clinically in all cases. All patients had prolonged periods of quiescence of hair loss ranging from 6 to 24 months. Treatments used included minoxidil 2% and a range of topical steroids including hydrocortisone 1%, betamethasone valerate 0.05%, fluocinonide 0.05%, and clobetasol propionate 0.05%. The best regrowth observed resulted from the use of clobetasol propionate 0.05%, giving full regrowth in 50% of those treated. Alopecia areata can occur at all ages and, thus, can be classified as both an acquired and a congenital disorder resulting in hair loss.

PMID: 15692503 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]