GUIDELINES   Free access

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2019 December;154(6):609-23

DOI: 10.23736/S0392-0488.19.06458-7

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Italian Guidelines in diagnosis and treatment of alopecia areata

Alfredo ROSSI ¹ ✉, Marta MUSCIANESE ¹, Bianca M. PIRACCINI ², Michela STARACE ², Marta CARLESIMO ¹, Victor D. MANDEL ³, Aurora ALESSANDRINI ², Stefano CALVIERI ¹, Gemma CARO ¹, Andrea D’ARINO ¹, Alessandro FEDERICO ¹, Francesca MAGRI ¹, Flavia PIGLIACELLI ¹, Graziana AMENDOLAGINE ⁴, Maria C. ANNUNZIATA ⁵, Maria C. ARISI ⁶, Stefano ASTORINO ⁷, Graziella BABINO ⁸, Federico BARDAZZI ², Stefania BARRUSCOTTI ⁹, Anna BELLONI FORTINA ¹⁰, Alessandro BORGHI ⁴, Francesca BRUNI ², Stefano CACCAVALE ⁸, Piergiacomo CALZAVARA-PINTON ⁶, Norma CAMELI ¹¹, Michele CARDONE ¹, Andrea CARUGNO ⁹, Rosa COPPOLA ¹², Annunziata DATTOLA ¹³, Maria B. DE FELICI DEL GIUDICE ¹⁴, Antonella DI CESARE ¹⁵, Emi DIKA ², Donato DI NUNNO ⁷, Roberto D’OVIDIO ¹⁶, Gabriella FABBROCINI ⁵, Claudio FELICIANI ¹⁴, Elisabetta FULGIONE ⁸, Marco GALLUZZO ¹³, Simone GARCOVICH ¹⁷, Valentina GARELLI ¹, Cristina GUERRIERO ¹⁷, Katharina HANSEL ¹⁸, Michelangelo LA PLACA ², Francesco LACARRUBBA ¹⁹, Viviana LORA ¹⁷, Elena MARINELLO ¹⁰, Matteo MEGNA ⁵, Giuseppe MICALI ¹⁹, Cosimo MISCIALI ², Paola MONARI ⁶, Giuseppe MONFRECOLA ⁵, Iria NERI ², Annamaria OFFIDANI ²⁰, Gloria ORLANDO ¹⁰, Manuela PAPINI ¹⁸, Annalisa PATRIZI ², Stefano PIASERICO ¹⁰, Niccolò RIVETTI ⁹, Oriana SIMONETTI ²⁰, Teodora R. STAN ¹⁰, Luca STINGENI ¹⁸, Marina TALAMONTI ¹³, Francesco TASSONE ¹⁷, Lucia VILLA ¹⁶, Colombina VINCENZI ², Maria C. FORTUNA ¹

¹ Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ² Division of Dermatology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; ³ Unit of Dermatology, Surgical, Medical and Dental Department of Morphological Sciences Related to Transplant, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; ⁴ Section of Dermatology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; ⁵ Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University, Naples, Italy; ⁶ Department of Dermatology, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; ⁷ Unit of Dermatology and Venereology, Celio Military Hospital, Rome, Italy; ⁸ Unit of Dermatology, Nuovo Policlinico, Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania, Naples, Italy; ⁹ Unit of Dermatology, S. Matteo University Polyclinic, IRCCS and Foundation, Pavia, Italy; ¹⁰ Unit of Dermatology, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; ¹¹ San Gallicano Dermatological Institute (IRCCS), Rome, Italy; ¹² Campus Bio-Medico University (Hospital), Rome, Italy; ¹³ Department of Dermatology, Tor Vergata Polyclinic and University, Rome, Italy; ¹⁴ Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; ¹⁵ Section of Dermatology, Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; ¹⁶ Private Practitioner, Bari, Italy; ¹⁷ Institute of Dermatology, A. Gemelli University Polyclinic, IRCCS and Foundation, Sacred Heart Carholic University, Rome, Italy; ¹⁸ Section of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy; ¹⁹ Department of Dermatology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; ²⁰ Unit of Dermatology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic Marche University, Ancona, Italy

Alopecia areata (AA) is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder that targets anagen phase hair follicles. The course is unpredictable and current available treatments have variable efficacy. Nowadays, there is relatively little evidence on treatment of AA from well-designed clinical trials. Moreover, none of the treatments or devices commonly used to treat AA are specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The Italian Study Group for Cutaneous Annexial Disease of the Italian Society of dermatology proposes these Italian guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Alopecia Areata deeming useful for the daily management of the disease. This article summarizes evidence-based treatment associated with expert-based recommendations.

KEY WORDS: Alopecia areata; Guideline; Autoimmunity