CASE REPORTS   

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2013 April;148(2):225-9

Copyright © 2013 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Koebner phenomenon in alopecia areata: rapid appearance after trichogram. Implications for the pathogenesis and therapy

D’Ovidio R. ✉

National Coordinator of AIDA Group of Trichology, Bari, Italy

Anecdotical experiences indicate that Koebner phenomenon (KP) can also be observed in alopecia areata (AA). The present short report gives an account of what has been observed in some patients with remitting-relapsing AA in multiple patches, in whom the phenomenon was accidentally caused by perilesional Trichogram. The almost immediate appearance of relapses of the disease (1-7 days) and their evolution can be useful to understand the physiopathology of AA and and emphasize the compelling need for a rapid and appropriate diagnosis and treatment in the acute phase of AA, even with the active participation of the patient adequately trained. The method of trichogram should be reserved for cases in which non-invasive methods such as the Pull Test or Trichoscopy are not sufficient to verify the activity of the disease.