Primary cicatricial alopecia: Lymphocytic primary cicatricial alopecias, including chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, and Graham-Little syndrome

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Vol. 75; no. 6; pp. 1081 - 1099
• Main Authors: Bolduc, Chantal, Sperling, Leonard C, Shapiro, Jerry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.12.2016
• Subjects: Alopecia - drug therapy; Alopecia - etiology; Cicatrix - drug therapy; Cicatrix - etiology; Humans; Lichen Planus - complications; Lichen Planus - drug therapy; Lichen Planus - pathology; Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid - complications; Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid - diagnosis; Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid - drug therapy; Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid - pathology; cicatricial; hair; lymphocytes; alopecia; permanent; fibrosis; hair loss; neutrophils; follicles
• ISSN: 1097-6787
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2014.09.058

Both primary and secondary forms of cicatricial alopecia have been described. The hair follicles are the specific target of inflammation in primary cicatricial alopecias. Hair follicles are destroyed randomly with surrounding structures in secondary cicatricial alopecia. This 2-part continuing medical education article will review primary cicatricial alopecias according to the working classification suggested by the North American Hair Research Society. In this classification, the different entities are classified into 3 different groups according to their prominent inflammatory infiltrate (ie, lymphocytic, neutrophilic, and mixed). Part I discusses the following lymphocytic primary cicatricial alopecias: chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, and Graham-Little syndrome.