Trichoscopy findings of frontal fibrosing alopecia on the eyebrows: A study of 151 cases

Background Eyebrow loss (madarosis) is a frequent sign of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), and it can be the first sign of the disease. Objective To describe trichoscopy findings of FFA on the eyebrows. Methods The analysis included 151 women with histologically proven diagnosis of FFA and eyebrow loss. Trichoscopy of the eyebrow area was performed with either a FotoFinder videodermatoscope or handheld dermoscope DermLite II pro. Results The most frequent signs on trichoscopy were yellow dots (92.7%), multiple pinpoint dots (79.5%), short thin hairs/vellus (76.2%), black dots (66.2%), and dystrophic hairs (60.9%). Tapering hairs were found in 21 (13.9%) patients and dystrophic hairs in 92 (60.9%) patients. Limitations Inner limitations of a case series (there was no comparison with healthy control individuals or patients with other hair disorders) and lack of histologic correlation to the trichoscopy findings. Conclusions Although FFA is a scarring alopecia, the most common trichoscopy signs found in the eyebrows are usually related to noncicatricial alopecia. Therefore, in most cases, trichoscopy of the eyebrows does not resemble the trichoscopy of FFA on the scalp. Black dots, dystrophic hairs, and broken hairs are frequent signs. Occasionally, tapered hairs can be present on the eyebrows in FFA, leading to misdiagnosis of alopecia areata.