Severe Alopecia Complicating Systemic Sclerosis

Aims: To describe a case of systemic sclerosis (SSc) associated with severe alopecia areata (AA) responsive to topical and systemic treatments, including vasoactive and immunosuppressive drugs (mycophenolate mofetil).

Presentation of the Case: A 56 year old woman, affected by SSc as from 5 years back, developed a rapid hair loss that progressively involved a large area of the scalp. AA was diagnosed, after the exclusion of an overlapping systemic lupus erythematosus or fungal infection. Treatment with topical steroids and minoxidil, plus mycophenolate mofetil that was introduced for interstitial lung disease, led to progressive improvement of alopecia up to a complete resolution within 4 months.

Discussion: This is an interesting observation of SSc complicated by severe AA, which is often observed in patients affected by various autoimmune disorders. A possible common pathogenesis of AA and SSc is also discussed.