Dermoscopic features of lichen planopilaris in Northern Iran: a prospective observational study

Abstract

Background Dermoscopy can be helpful in assessing nonpigmented lesions and inflammatory processes like lichen planopilaris (LPP). Material & Methods In this observational prospective study, 81 patients with a cicatricial alopecic patch on their scalp were included and underwent dermatologic examination. A biopsy was taken from the active part of the lesion based on dermoscopy evaluation. Results Analysis of 44 patients with definite diagnosis of LPP revealed that the mean age at the time of presentation was 44.05 ± 12.62 years. More than 77% of patients had at least one form of the follicular opening disorder. About 75% of patients had shaft disorders. The most common pattern of pigmentation was milky‐red (97.73%). The irregular and ectatic vascular network were seen in 59.09% of patients. Patients with coiled and twisted hairs, small yellow dots, large yellow dots, and peripilar sign were more likely to have shorter disease duration (P < 0.05). Those with overall shaft disorders were younger (P = 0.02). Small yellow dots (P = 0.025) and peripilar sign (P = 0.039) were more common in female patients. Conclusion Dermoscopy can be a helpful diagnostic tool in differentiating LPP among patients with primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA). Larger cohort studies are recommended to find the role of demographic factors in predicting the dermoscopic patterns among LPP patients.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Trichoscopy in Inflammatory Scalp Diseases: A Systematic Review

“…A total of 22 studies (15 original studies, 7 case reports) reported on trichoscopic features of lichen planopilaris. The analyzed group consisted of 356 patients [4,17,[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]. Vessels.…”

Pili Torti: A Feature of Numerous Congenital and Acquired Conditions

“…Pili torti is identified in 31.82-51.9% of patients with lichen planopilaris [89,111]. It is usually present in long-lasting disease [89,111].…”

“…Pili torti is identified in 31.82-51.9% of patients with lichen planopilaris [89,111]. It is usually present in long-lasting disease [89,111]. Other characteristic trichoscopic features of lichen planopilaris are perifollicular scaling and perifollicular erythema [112].…”

Dermatoscopy and Reflective Confocal Microscopy for Facial Seborrheic Keratosis, Verruca Plana, and Nevus Pigmentosus

“…[3][4][5] Dermatoscopy allows doctors to better assess the superficial structure of the epidermis and dermis by attaching the camera to a magnifying glass. 6 Similarly, RCM can afford observation of the three-dimensional section of the skin.…”

“…But it does not achieve good sensitivity for inspecting deep skin structures and cytomorphological details. 6 In contrast to dermatoscopy, RCM allows further information regarding the tissue and cell morphology from the superficial layers of the skin down to the superficial reticular dermis. 7 However, at the aspect of observing structures of superficial skin lesions, RCM is not as intuitive as dermatoscopy.…”