Valins Whitney, Vega Janelle, Amini Sadegh, Woolery-Lloyd Heather, Schachner Lawrence
Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
Arch Dermatol. 2011 Nov;147(11):1297-9. doi: 10.1001/archdermatol.2011.192. Epub 2011 Jul 18.
Alopecia areata is a common cause of hair loss seen in 3.8% of patients in dermatology clinics and in 0.2% to 2.0% of the general US population. The pathology of the disease remains poorly understood. Hair loss in alopecia areata can range from a single patch to 100% loss of body hair. When hair regrowth occurs in alopecia areata, the new hair may demonstrate pigment alterations, but a change in hair texture (ie, curly or straight) has rarely been reported as a consequence of alopecia areata.
We report a case of a 13-year-old African American boy who experienced an alteration of hair shape following regrowth after alopecia areata. The new hair recapitulated his hair shape from early childhood.
The precipitating factor for a change in hair texture in alopecia areata may be a result of treatment, pathophysiologic changes, or a combination of both. Whether the change is triggered at the level of stem cell differentiation, by cytokine or hormonal influences, gene expression during hair follicle development, a combination of all of these, or an unknown cause is a question that remains to be answered.
斑秃是一种常见的脱发原因，在皮肤科门诊患者中占3.8%，在美国普通人群中占0.2%至2.0%。该疾病的病理仍知之甚少。斑秃导致的脱发范围可从单个斑块到全身毛发100%脱落。当斑秃患者出现毛发再生时，新生毛发可能会出现色素改变，但因斑秃导致毛发质地改变（即卷曲或直发）的情况鲜有报道。
我们报告了一例13岁非裔美国男孩，其斑秃后再生的毛发出现了形状改变。新生毛发重现了他幼儿时期的毛发形状。
斑秃中毛发质地改变的诱发因素可能是治疗、病理生理变化或两者共同作用的结果。这种改变是在干细胞分化水平由细胞因子或激素影响触发，还是在毛囊发育过程中由基因表达触发，抑或是所有这些因素共同作用，又或是由未知原因触发，这仍是一个有待解答的问题。
