title: Pulse corticosteroid therapy for alopecia areata: long-term outcome after 10 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few data are available concerning the efficiency of pulse corticosteroids in alopecia areata (AA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to assess the long-term outcomes of patients treated with methylprednisolone bolus.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 60 patients treated between 1995 and 2000. The short-term outcomes were analyzed in 2000. The long-term assessment of 30 patients was performed in 2010 by phone questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant hair regrowth was observed in 10/30 patients at 6 months after the bolus treatment. Half of the plurifocalis AA patients were responders at 6 months, but less than one quarter of alopecia totalis (AT) and alopecia universalis (AU) patients responded. Long-term outcomes were assessed after a mean duration of 12.3 years; 8/10 initial responders had mild or no disease, and 14/20 initial nonresponders had severe AA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed the low efficiency, both short- and long-term, of this treatment for AT and AU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Lille, Hôpital Claude-Huriez, Lille, France. delphine.salle@chru-lille.fr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Staumont-Sallé
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vonarx
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lengrand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Segard
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delaporte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020551:Pulse Therapy, Drug / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone