BACKGROUND

Alopecia areata (AA) is autoimmune disease of hair follicles which in some cases leads to significant area of hair loss and has a pronounced negative impact on patients’ life quality. Combination of AA with atopic diseases is currently assessed as risk of adverse AA course. The selection of atopy as a comorbid condition in AA has not only a predictive, but also a therapeutic and tactical importance, because allows to personalize treatment, planning systemic therapy with targeted pathogenetic preparations for such patients.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the occurrence of atopic diseases in AA and to assess clinical features of AA course combining with atopic diseases compared to AA without atopy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The number of patients with AA equal 146 aged 5–18 years, mean age 12.9±0.8 years, has been examined. Study group included 38 (26%) patients with confirmed comorbid atopic diseases (atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma). Control group consisted of 108 patients with AA and without atopic diseases. The following clinical parameters were assessed in both groups: patients’ age at the first visit, age of AA manifestation, number of events, duration of current event, area of hair loss, clinical phenotype of AA.

RESULTS

It has been demonstrated, that the average age of the manifestation of AA combined with atopic diseases was significantly lower than in group of patients suffered from AA without atopy (p=0.0017). Patients with comorbid atopic diseases had prevalently total and universal types of AA (S5B1-2N0-1) compared to patients without atopy (OR 3.37; 95% CI 1.07—10.61). There was a tendency to prevalence of AA clinical type in the form of ophiasis among patients with «atopic» AA type.

CONCLUSION

Atopy, as a comorbid condition in AA, is a prognostic unfavorable background referring to early onset and development of AA severe types.