Open AccessOccipital Fibrosing Alopecia in a Young Male: A Case Report
Author(s) -
Isabella Doche,
Marina Mattos Rebeis,
Neusa Yuriko Sakai Valente,
Maria Cecília Rivitti Machado
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
skin appendage disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2296-9195
pISSN - 2296-9160
DOI - 10.1159/000512034
Subject(s) - scalp , medicine , scarring alopecia , dermatology , occipital region , erythema , folliculitis , hair loss , tinea capitis , pathology , anatomy
Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is a primary lymphocytic cicatricial alopecia with 3 recognized clinical variants. Lately, LPP clinical spectrum has expanded with new and overlapping clinical variants. First considered as a subtype of LPP affecting postmenopausal women, the increasing worldwide incidence of FFA including atypical lesions in young female and male suggests a different pathomechanism for this disease. Although LPP-spectrum disorders may share similar histopathological findings, clinical features and prognosis are different. Case Report: A 26-year-old Caucasian male presented with occipital scarring alopecia and pruritus for the last 6 months. The patient had been treated for an associated androgenetic alopecia and superficial recurrent scalp folliculitis over the vertex scalp for the last 5 years. Trichoscopy of the occipital scalp showed mild diffuse erythema, moderate peripilar scaling, and absence of follicular openings, suggestive of a scarring process. The patient underwent an occipital scalp biopsy that confirmed the diagnosis of a LPP-spectrum disorder. Discussion/Conclusion: Both LPP and FFA mostly affect the anterior-mid scalp of females. However, recent reports on FFA also in premenopausal women and men should make physicians aware of atypical features of this disease and unusual clinical presentation.