Frontal fibrosing alopecia: a disease that remains enigmatic

Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2020 Aug;37(4):482-489. doi: 10.5114/ada.2020.98241. Epub 2020 Sep 2.

Abstract

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is recognized to represent a generalized process of inflammatory scarring alopecia. Apart from the classic form affecting the frontal hairline, there are a range of disease manifestations involving loss of eyebrows and of eyelashes, loss of peripheral body hair, fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution, facial and extrafacial skin, mucous membrane, and nail involvement. Classic linear, diffuse "zigzag", pseudo "fringe sign", androgenetic alopecia-like, cockade-like, ophiasis-like and incomplete patterns are distinguished. The aetiology of FFA remains obscure, but a number of pathogenetic hypotheses and treatments to halt disease progression have been proposed.

Keywords: diagnostics; etiopathogenesis; scarring alopecia; therapy.

Publication types

  • Review