This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Men experience rare frontal fibrosing alopecia

While most often reported among postmenopausal women, frontal fibrosing alopecia occurred among men, according to recently published study results in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study using the Mayo Medical Center Research Database from 1992 to 2016. They identified 182 men being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The study included seven men with frontal fibrosing alopecia (median age at diagnosis, 53 years).

The most frequently involved areas were the frontal scalp (six patients), sideburns (four patients) and temporal scalp (four patients). Three patients had eyebrow involvement and one patient experienced hair loss on the upper lip.

All patients had lichen planopilaris, based on biopsy classification.

Physical examination revealed features including erythema (six patients), hyperkeratosis of scalp (four patients) and dislcolored scalp macules (one patient). One patient had androgenetic alopecia.

No patients autoimmune or thyroid disease. Lichen planus at other mucocutaneous or internal sites on examination was not present.

“[Frontal fibrosing alopecia] is a scarring alopecia thought to be a variant of [lichen planopilaris] based on the similarity of histopathologic findings,” the researchers wrote.

“Although [frontal fibrosing alopecia] in men is rare, it does occur and presents with clinical and histopathologic features similar to those in women with [frontal fibrosing alopecia],” the researchers concluded. “In men, however, involvement of the sideburns and facial hair is a notable finding, and eyebrow and sideburn alopecia can help distinguish [frontal fibrosing alopecia] from [androgenetic alopecia]. We hope that additional larger studies will more fully elucidate the clinical features and etiology of [frontal fibrosing alopecia] in men.” – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.