Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Looking Beyond the Scene of the Crime

Histologic — but not always clinical — evidence of FFA can be found on the eyebrow or extremities as well as on the scalp.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a scarring alopecia affecting the frontotemporal or frontoparietal hairline that occurs most frequently — but not exclusively — in postmenopausal women. The disease is characterized histologically by a lichenoid inflammation and thus is considered to be a variant of lichen planopilaris. These authors retrospectively studied clinicopathologic findings in 13 women (85% postmenopausal; median age, 57) presenting with FFA at a single institution during a 2-year period. Scalp biopsy specimens were obtained from all patients for histology and immunofluorescence testing, and eyebrow and upper-limb specimens were obtained from six and five patients, respectively, for histology-only testing.

All patients had a band…

Reviewing Author

Angelica Selim, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research support NIH/NCI, The Plastic Surgery Foundation

Angelica Selim, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research support NIH/NCI, The Plastic Surgery Foundation

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: Looking Beyond the Scene of the Crime

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Reviewing Author