Alopecia Areata - Effects of Treatment with Upadacitinib - Two Case Reports.

INTRODUCTION

Alopecia areata (AA) is a condition in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. A deeper understanding of AA's underlying mechanisms has contributed to the development of new therapies, such as JAK inhibitors. There are only two EMA-approved medications for AA. Upadacitinib shows much potential, but there are few reports on its effectiveness.

CASE REPORT: The clinical presentation of AA is variable. We report two cases of AA to highlight the varied clinical presentations and diagnostic challenges in our setting and encourage consideration of using upadacitinib as a treatment, which has yielded satisfactory results, with visible regrowth of vellus hair within 3-6 months. In one case, we have a classical form of AA universalis, and in the other one, we have the coexistence of AA with sarcoidosis.

CONCLUSION

The early inclusion of effective treatment for AA with JAK inhibitors contributes to an improvement in the patient's quality of life, both physically and psychologically, without further aggravating the skin lesions of sarcoidosis.