Remarkable Improvement of Nail Changes in Alopecia Areata Universalis with 10 Months of Treatment with Tofacitinib: A Case Report

Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic, autoimmune disease. The main symptom is massive hair loss, localized or diffuse, in the scalp and the whole body. However, nails may also be involved, and brittleness, fragility and pitting can be signs of nail dystrophy in AA patients. Here, we report the case of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Case reports in dermatology 2016-10, Vol.8 (3), p.262-266
Main Authors: Ferreira, Sineida Berbert, Scheinberg, Morton, Steiner, Denise, Steiner, Tatiana, Bedin, Gustavo Longhi, Ferreira, Rachel Berbert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alopecia areata
Nails
Single Case
Tofacitinib
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic, autoimmune disease. The main symptom is massive hair loss, localized or diffuse, in the scalp and the whole body. However, nails may also be involved, and brittleness, fragility and pitting can be signs of nail dystrophy in AA patients. Here, we report the case of a male patient with AA refractory to various treatments, including oral, topical and intralesional corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, cyclosporin and PUVA (oxoralen plus ultraviolet light), all interrupted due to side effects. The patient’s nails had erythematous blotches (striated lunulae) with regular and superficial pitting as well as fragility (trachyonychia), and he could no longer play the guitar because of these symptoms. With patient consent, we introduced tofacitinib (5 mg twice daily), which resulted in remarkable improvements not only regarding hair regrowth but also nail changes, with function recovery within 10 months.
ISSN:1662-6567
1662-6567
DOI:10.1159/000450848