Alopecia areata of dental origin.
The association of alopecia areata and infectious foci of dental origin is relatively common, and may be explained by the autoimmune nature of the disorder. We describe a case of alopecia areata with no apparent cause and that was effectively resolved by eliminating a focalized dental infection via endodontic treatment. The presence of common immune mediators in the pathogenesis of both alopecia areata and dental infection could account for the dental origin of the hair loss. In this sense, patients with localized alopecia should be subjected to careful exploration of the oral cavity in search of possible dental infections.
Gil Montoya
José Antonio
JA
Facultad de Odontologia Paseo de la Cartuja s/n 18071 GRANADA, Spain. jagil@ugr.es
Cutando Soriano
Antonio
A
Jimenez Prat
José
J
D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D003751:Dental Fistula / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D008297:Male; D012390:Root Canal Therapy