ALOPECIA-AREATA

Alopecia areata is a not uncommon disease of variable severity, manife sting with non-scarring, patchy hair loss that may spontaneously regre ss within a short time but that may also progress to long-lasting alop ecia totalis and alopecia universalis, causing cosmetic disfigurement and psychological distress. Whereas the diagnosis is easy, the pathoge nesis remains obscure; hair loss results from attack of the hair matri x, in which genetic, emotional and mainly immunologic factors seem to be involved. Our poor understanding of the pathophysiology of the dise ase is reflected in the absence of a consistently effective treatment. Animal models and new technologies such as single hair follicular cul ture, single hair reverse transcriptase-PCR and follicular reconstitut ion studies will hopefully help in the understanding of the basic path ophysiologic mechanisms of the disease and to elaborate more efficient therapeutic modalities.