Poster Presentation Australasian Society for Dermatology Research Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Diffuse alopecia areata treated with Minoxidil: a case series of three paediatric patients (#110)

Lucy O'Reilly 1 , John Frewen 1 , Rodney Sinclair 1 2
  1. Sinclair Dermatology, Prahran, VIC, Australia
  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Alopecia areata may less commonly present with diffuse forms of hair thinning such as Diffuse Alopecia Areata and Alopecia Areata Incognita. These conditions may be under-recognised and misdiagnosed due to clinical similarities with other diffuse patterned hair loss. We report three cases of diffuse pattern AA in pre-pubescent children, where an androgenetic aetiology is therefore excluded. Diffuse forms of AA typically have a better response to treatment compared to patchy AA. The mainstay of treatment of AA in children has been corticosteroids, due to the substantial evidence base. Minoxidil is often used as an adjunct, but limited data exists on its efficacy in children, in particular for oral preparations. We demonstrate three paediatric cases where oral Minoxidil is effective in treating diffuse AA.