Morphological changes of the hair roots in alopecia areata: A scanning electron microscopic study

• Published in: Journal of dermatology Vol. 40; no. 12; pp. 1045 - 1048
• Main Authors: Karashima, Tadashi, Tsuruta, Daisuke, Hamada, Takahiro, Ishii, Norito, Ono, Fumitake, Ueda, Akihiro, Abe, Toshifumi, Nakama, Takekuni, Dainichi, Teruki, Hashimoto, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2013; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: alopecia areata; Alopecia Areata - pathology; anagen; Baldness; Case-Control Studies; Child; Dermatology; Fluorescent Dyes; Hair - ultrastructure; Hair loss; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Middle Aged; proximal end of the hair shaft; rhodamine; Rhodamines; scanning electron microscopy; scanning electron microscopy; proximal end of the hair shaft; alopecia areata; anagen; rhodamine
• ISSN: 0385-2407; 1346-8138
• DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.12350

Alopecia areata is a chronic inflammatory condition causing non‐scarring patchy hair loss. Diagnosis of alopecia areata is made by clinical observations, hair pluck test and dermoscopic signs. However, because differentiation from other alopecia diseases is occasionally difficult, an invasive diagnostic method using a punch biopsy is performed. In this study, to develop a reliable, less invasive diagnostic method for alopecia areata, we performed scanning electron microscopy of the hair roots of alopecia areata patients. This study identified four patterns of hair morphology specific to alopecia areata: (I) long tapering structure with no accumulation of scales; (II) club‐shaped hair root with fine scales; (III) proximal accumulation of scales; and (IV) sharp tapering of the proximal end of hair. On the basis of these results, we can distinguish alopecia areata by scanning electron microscopic observation of the proximal end of the hair shafts.