Plaquenil for Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis

Alopecia areata is a high prevalence autoimmune disease with significant consequences. Alopecia areata is a tissue restricted autoimmune disease directed at the hair follicle, resulting in hair loss. Patients frequently suffer severe psychiatric consequences. This is especially true of girls and young women who become bald. The incidence of alopecia areata in the USA (Minnesota is 20.2 per 100,000 person-years with a lifetime risk of approximately 1.7%. There is no significant gender difference. The disease is often chronic with a remitting, relapsing course. Although it responds to immunosuppression, generalized immunosuppression has significant morbidity and treatment is frequently frustrating and not successful. New treatment options are essential. With evidence that alopecia areata is a T-lymphocyte mediated autoimmune condition it has become a model system for the study of pathogenesis and treatment of T-cell mediated autoimmunity and as such is a model for a host of additional T-cell mediated autoimmune conditions.