Trial of intralesional interferon alfa in the treatment of alopecia areata.

Eleven patients with alopecia areata, ranging from patchy disease to alopecia universalis, were treated with intralesional interferon alfa-2 on a selected area of alopecia. Follow-up at 3 months revealed local terminal hair growth in one patient. At 12 months, variable disease activity was seen. Regional lymphadenopathy, a new finding with interferon, was seen in four patients during the treatment. Immunohistochemical studies showed some changes in the inflammatory infiltrates and in HLA-DR expression that may be related to the interferon or to the dynamics of the inflammatory infiltrate in alopecia areata. Interferon, at the dosage and treatment schedule used in our trial, had no significant effect on alopecia areata.