Italian National Registry of Alopecia Areata: an epidemiological study of 699 Italian patients.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that affects the hair follicles of the scalp and the rest of the body causing hair loss. Due to the unpredictable course of AA and the different degrees of severity of hair loss, only a few well-designed clinical studies with a low number of patients are available. Also, there is no specific cure, but topical and systemic anti-inflammatory and immune system suppressant drugs are used for treatment. The need to create a global registry of AA, comparable and reproducible in all countries, has recently emerged. An Italian multicentric electronic registry is proposed as a model to facilitate and guide the recording of epidemiological and clinical data and to monitor the introduction of new therapies in patients with AA. METHODS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological data of patients with AA by collecting detailed information on the course of the disease, associated diseases, concomitant and previous events, and the clinical response to traditional treatments. Estimate the impact on the quality of life of patients. RESULTS: The creation of the National Register of AA has proven to be a valid tool for recording, with a standardized approach, epidemiological data, the trend of AA, response to therapies and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: AA is confirmed as a difficult hair disease to manage due to its unpredictable course and, in most cases, its chronic-relapsing course, capable of having a significant impact on the quality of life of patients.

Infectious events in patients with alopecia areata treated with JAK inhibitors: low burden and minimal impact on persistence in treatment.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring disorder characterized by hair loss that greatly affects patients' quality of life and has a chronic, recurring course. This disease is marked by an inflammatory process, mainly on an autoimmune basis primarily regulated by Janus kinase (JAK). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study evaluating the safety of JAKi in a real-world setting in 91 AA patients, with a specific focus on the assessment of infectious events. RESULTS: Overall, 34 infectious events were observed in 28 patients (30.8%), among them 17 patients (60.7%) suspended treatment with JAKi until the infection was clinically resolved. Only in one case the infectious event led to a permanent discontinuation of the treatment. The data we observed in the study are consistent with results reported in clinical trials. CONCLUSION: It can be stated that, during treatment with JAKi in AA patients, infectious events may occur, but in most cases these events are easily manageable and do not result in permanent discontinuation of the drug.

A Longitudinal Multiinstitutional Study of Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus: From Childhood to Perimenopause.

OBJECTIVE: The main outcome of this study was the evaluation of clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and therapeutic approaches in patients with vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) aged from childhood to perimenopause. Secondly, it was intended to compare these characteristics according to the menarchal status. METHODS: Patients less than 45 years of age with a diagnosis of VLS from January 2002 to June 2022 in 10 referral centers were included in this retrospective longitudinal study. The univariate analysis compared the dependent variables according to menarchal status. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-six patients met the inclusion criteria. At diagnosis, between 25% and 40% of premenarchal patients reported signs related to subepithelial hemorrhage. A significantly greater presence of bleeding (p < .005), easy bruising (p = .028), fissures (p = .008), petechiae/splinter hemorrhages (p < .001), and bleeding/blistering or open sores (p = .011) was observed in premenarchal patients with respect to the postmenarchal group. The perineum (p = .013) and the perianal region (p < .001) were significantly more involved in the premenarchal group. Topical calcineurin inhibitors were more used in the premenarchal population (p = .004), whereas vitamin E oil and moisturizers were more used in the postmenarchal population (p = .047). CONCLUSIONS: Vulvar lichen sclerosus is a chronic condition that can cause vulvar changes that result in severe morbidity and affects sexual function and quality of life, even before menopause. Vulvar lichen sclerosus continues to be misdiagnosed in this population. This may lead to an average delay from symptom onset to diagnosis. Evaluating clinical manifestations of VLS in premenarchal and postmenarchal age allowed us to find different clinical characteristics between the 2 periods suggestive of the diagnosis.