title: Clinical features of primary cicatricial alopecia in Chinese patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been few reports on primary cicatricial alopecias (PCR) especially from Asia (PCA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical, pathological and dermoscopic characteristics of PCA among Chinese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 59 patients with PCA was conducted and the dermoscopic, pathological, treatment and prognosis characteristics analyzed. Fisher's Chi-square exact test, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman rank correlation test were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ratio of neutrophilic to lymphocytic cicatricial alopecias was about 1.3:1 in this group. The most frequent disorder was folliculitis decalvans. Follicular openings were absent on dermoscopy in all cases except alopecia mucinosa. Patulous follicular openings were characterisitc of alopecia mucinosa. After treatment, an increase in short vellus hairs was the earliest feature, while telangiectasia, epidermal scale, follicular hyperkeratosis, pustules and hair diameter diversity gradually decreased or even disappeared. Improvement in the areas of hair loss after treatment was seen more often in discoid lupus erythematosus, folliculitis decalvans and dissecting cellulitis than in patients with classic pseudopelade of Brocq. Nine patients (13.6%) relapsed after cessation of therapy. Female patients needed longer treatment times. Long duration, large areas of hair loss and shorter treatment courses were the major factors in relapses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dermatoscopy provides a rapid, practical and useful aid for the diagnosis of PCA and also to assess disease activity. Patulous follicular openings are a specific dermoscopic sign of alopecia mucinosa. Lichen planopilaris is less common in China than in the West.
authors.forename: Shiling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiaoting
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shuifeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
authors.forename: Xingqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000505:Alopecia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult