PSEUDOPELADE - AN INHERITED ALOPECIA

Background. Pseudopelade is a rare idiopathic progressive alopecia tha t has no initial inflammatory phase. Even so, pseudopelade has been cl assified as a scarring alopecia with postinflammatory alopecias. Atrop hy rather than true scarring is the cardinal feature of pseudopelade. Materials and Methods. A review of reported cases of pseudopelade, esp ecially those with a family history, was undertaken. The discovery of a young man and his mother, who had pseudopelade, plus two other famil ial cases prompted this study. Results. Examination of the clinical an d pathologic material shows pseudopelade to be a disease separate from other alopecias. The striking familial association in these cases dem onstrates a plausible etiology. Conclusions. Pseudopelade is an autoso mal dominant disorder of the scalp marked by atrophic loss of hair fol licles.