title: Pulse steroid therapy for children's severe alopecia areata?
abstract: Seven children with severe, rapidly evolving alopecia areata (AA) were treated with pulse steroid therapy (PST). AA had been present for 3-44 weeks and involved more than 30% of the scalp. One patient had alopecia totalis. Intravenous methylprednisolone (5 mg/kg twice a day) was administered for 3 days. No serious side effects were noted. At the 12-month follow-up, complete regrowth had occurred in 5 patients (71%). The patient with alopecia totalis had no regrowth. PST appears to be a promising and safe treatment for extensive, recent-onset AA in children. No response is to be expected in alopecia totalis or long-standing AA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, CHU Saint-Pierre, HUDERF, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiesch
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Stene
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goens
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vanhooteghem
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone