Psoriatic scarring alopecia

Abstract

Psoriasis affects approximately 0.123% of the population in China. Scalp is the first site of involvement in nearly 50% of the patients. Hair loss is a possible feature in psoriasis of any type. In 1972, Shuster has first distinguished three types of psoriatic alopecia: circumscribed alopecia, diffuse alopecia, and scarring alopecia. Psoriatic alopecia was found to be circumscribed in 75% of the cases and diffuse in 25%. Scarring alopecia is a rare form, which most often occurs in areas of long-standing lesions. We herein report two cases of psoriatic scarring alopecia and discuss the differential diagnosis of hair loss in psoriasis and the possible pathogenic role of T cells in psoriatic alopecia.