title: Lipedematous alopecia of the scalp.
abstract: Lipedematous scalp is a rare disorder, mainly described in adult African-American females. We report 2 adult caucasian males with lipedematous scalp associated with androgenetic alopecia. Patients were studied by dermoscopy and histopathology; they were treated with finasteride 1 mg. In our patients, lipedematous scalp affected the occipital and the vertex areas and pathologically exhibited mild edema and thickening of the adipose subcutaneous layer. At videodermoscopy, lipedematous scalp areas showed linear areas of teleangiectasia within the scalp creases, possibly caused by compression of the superficial blood capillaries by the increased volume of the subcutaneous fat layer within the thickened scalp. Finasteride at a dose of 1 mg per day for 1 year induced mild improvement of androgenetic alopecia in one patient and stabilization of the disease in the other. The lipedematous scalps remain unchanged. Lipedematous scalp is apparently a rare disease even though the condition is probably underdiagnosed. As a matter of fact, we diagnosed lipedematous scalp in our patients during a clinical examination for androgenetic alopecia, which was the patients' complaint. The association of lipedematous scalp and androgenetic alopecia in our two patients appears to be coincidental.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 1, 40138-Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Bianca Maria
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Piraccini
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voudouris
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pazzaglia
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rech
authors.forename: Colombina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicenzi
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosti
mesh_terms: D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D018120:Finasteride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008068:Lipomatosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D018120:Finasteride; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase