Treatment of chronic extensive alopecia areata by diphenylcyclopropenone alone versus in combination with anthralin.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic inflammatory, recurrent, tissue-specific autoimmune disease, mediated by autoreactive CD8+ T cells, occurring in genetically predisposed individuals. Targeting intrabulbar and peribulbar lymphocytic infiltrate by using squaric acid dibutyl ester (SADBE) and diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) in contact immunotherapy is by far the best chemotherapy for AA.

THE AIM OF WORK: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) and anthralin in chronic extensive AA.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: A total of 24 patients (12 were treated only with DPCP and 12 with DPCP and anthralin for at least 24 weeks) were evaluated.

RESULTS: Complete hair regrowth was observed in 62.5% and 18.2% of the patients who received DPCP and combination therapy, respectively (P = 0.04). Hair regrowth duration was different in both groups.

CONCLUSION: The DPCP therapy is superior to the combination therapy with DPCP and anthralin in terms of efficacy, the time of onset of hair regrowth and the time to complete hair regrowth, Moreover, the increasing side effects in combination therapy group. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.