Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is scarring alopecia rarely described in men. The objective of the study is to investigate the clinical and histopathologic features of LPP in men. The doctors and researchers performed a retrospective cohort study of male patients with LPP seen at Mayo Clinic between 1992 and 2016.
The researchers have included nineteen men with biopsy‐confirmed LPP. The disease most commonly presented with diffuse or vertex scalp involvement. None of the patients had eyebrow or body hair involvement. Perifollicular erythema and pruritus were the most frequent clinical findings. Androgenetic alopecia or AGA co‐occurred in 26.3% of patients. Mucosal lichen planus was found in four patients. Thyroid disease occurred in three patients. Disease improvement occurred with combined topical and systemic therapy, topical clobetasol monotherapy, and minocycline monotherapy. LPP in men has similar clinical and histologic presentations as reported in women. Nonscalp hair loss appears less likely in men with classic LPP than reported in men with frontal fibrosing alopecia. In contrast, mucosal lichen planus and thyroid disease appear to be more common in classic LPP. Men with AGA can present with new‐onset concomitant LPP. Limitations included small study size, variable follow‐up, and lack of standardized clinical assessment due to the study’s retrospective nature.
Ref: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijd.15285
