Clinical Study of Dermoscopic Findings in Non-Cicatricial & Cicatricial Alopecia

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis of alopecia is based on clinical grounds. However, sometimes clinical evaluation may not provide a clear diagnosis and in such cases, scalp biopsy and histopathological examination may provide us with the diagnosis. Dermoscopy is a non-invasive tool using which we can make the diagnosis in clinically doubtful cases and a scalp biopsy can be avoided. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To study the dermoscopic findings in non-cicatricial & cicatricial alopecias and to study the correlation between dermoscopic findings & histopathological examination, in cases of alopecia with doubtful diagnosis. METHODOLOGY: 82 patients with alopecia over a one year period were included in the study. Detailed clinical examination and scalp dermoscopy were done in all patients. Histopathological examination was done in patients with doubtful diagnosis. Scalp scraping and hair root examination was done in suspected cases of tinea capitis. RESULTS: The dermoscopic findings in patients with alopecia in our study were consistent with those mentioned in literature with some differences. This includes more common occurrence of black dots than yellow dots in alopecia areata, equal specificity of coiled hair and cockscrew hair when compared with comma hair for diagnosing tinea capitis and occurrence of Wickham’s striae in lichen planopilaris. Lipid globules for diagnosing nevus sebaceous and stellate follicular scars for diagnosing aplasia cutis have also been reported in our study. CONCLUSION: Dermoscopy is non-invasive tool which can help us in achieving an etiological diagnosis in patients with alopecia without resorting to a scalp biopsy