Retinal pigment epithelium function in alopecia areata.

Electroretinography (ERG) and electro-oculography (EOG) were performed in 98 patients affected by alopecia areata (AA) free from ophthalmologic disorders, and in 40 healthy subjects, in order to evaluate whether or not the retinal pigment epithelium of AA patients shows bioelectrical changes. ERG was normal. EOG, on the contrary, showed a significantly depressed mean value in the AA patient group. Furthermore, depressed EOG occurred more frequently in patients affected by alopecia totalis or universalis as compared with multiple patchy alopecia. These findings prompt the authors to believe that the melanocytes may play a prominent part in the pathogenesis of AA.