Topical Cetirizine in Treatment of Localized Alopecia Areata

Overview

Evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of topical cetirizine 1%, versus topical betamethasone valerate 0.1% in the treatment of localized alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata (AA) is one of the commonest autoimmune non-cicatricial hair loss that affects different parts of hair-bearing areas of the body . Nearly 2% of the population at some stage of their life may be affected by alopecia areata while the prevalence of alopecia areata was reported to be between 0.1% to 0.2%. Alopecia areata can occur at any age, although it starts in the first three decades of life in most patients, and both sexes are equally affected. It can present clinically as a well-defined patch of hair loss, diffuse hair loss, reticulate hair loss, ophiasis, ophiasis inversus, alopecia totalis (complete loss of scalp hair), or alopecia universalis (hair loss of all over the body). Many treatment options including topical, systemic, injectable and laser modalities have been used for the treatment of AA . Among the various treatment options for alopecia areata, topical corticosteroids as betamethasone valerate are considered as standard therapy. There have been reports on the efficacy/adjunctive role of systemic antihistamines in alopecia areata. Moreover, fexofenadine was found to enhance hair regrowth in two cases of extensive resistant alopecia areata. Cetirizine hydrochloride belongs to a family of medicines called antihistamines which has varied medical uses and is commonly used to relieve allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, hives, and itching. In addition, it has been demonstrated that cetirizine inhibits release of prostaglandin D2 and stimulates the release of prostaglandin E2 . Topical cetirizine was used with good results and with no notable side effects for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Because of this evidence and the absence of hormonal influence, cetirizine was considered suitable for this kind of hair loss . Cetirizine is able to increase prostaglandins (PG) E and Fα synthesis, and thus, reduce inflammation. It also decreases prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) synthesis. Prostaglandins E and Fα influence positively hair follicle growth, and stimulate and maintain the anagen phase. So, by increasing the synthesis of prostaglandins E and Fα, cetirizine induces an increase in total and terminal hair density and hair diameter, and a reduction in vellus hair density. A recent study has shown a significantly increased expression of prostaglandin D2 in the serum and lesional skin of alopecia areata patients than in controls. Also, a case report has demonstrated the improvement of diffuse alopecia caused by palbociclib for the treatment of breast cancer, using topical cetirizine 0.5% solution. Dermoscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic utility, used to evaluate many skin and hair disorders. It may aid in the diagnosis of many uncertain hair disorders, one of which is alopecia areata. Different dermoscopic characteristics are seen in alopecia areata such as, black dots, yellow dots, tapering hairs (exclamation mark hairs). broken hairs and short vellus hairs.

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