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Pediatric patients with alopecia areata (AA) may experience a severe burden of disease that can have negative emotional and financial effects. Pediatric AA affects not only the patients themselves but also their families, which warrants appropriate medical support from physicians.

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic hair loss. Although itโ€™s not a life-threatening condition, AA can often cause distress and reduced quality of life. Pediatric patients with AA may also experience psychiatric comorbidities, such as depression and anxiety, and other comorbidities, such as atopic dermatitis.

Clinical investigators in South Korea conducted a nationwide multicenter questionnaire study that enrolled patients with AA aged 5 to 18 years. The enrolled patients and their parents answered the modified Childrenโ€™s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the modified Dermatitis Family Impact (mDFI). Researchers used the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) survey scores to assess the severity of the condition.

Almost 300 patients with AA from 22 hospitals were included in the study. The severity of disease was proportional to the burden of disease, with patients reporting a lower satisfaction and perception of treatment efficacy with higher severity of the disease. Patients with extensive AA reported higher CDLQI and mDFI scores than patients with mild to moderate disease, indicating a greater burden of disease. In addition, family members of patients with severe AA experienced a greater economic burden and extensive time commitments.

There is a need for clinicians to address the disease burden in patients with AA. Clinicians can help provide emotional support and guide patients on the right clinical and psychological interventions to address the impact of the disease on quality of life. Patients with severe AA, especially, may be looking for alternative treatments and require appropriate recommendations from their healthcare providers.

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Source:
Choi, J. W., Kim, Y. H., Kwak, H., Park, J., Lee, W. S., Kang, H., Kim, J. E., Yoon, T. Y., Kim, K. H., Jang, Y. H., Kim, D. W., Kim, M. B., Lew, B. L., Sim, W. Y., Jeon, J., Seo, S. H., Kwon, O., Huh, C. H., Lee, D. Y., . . . Choi, G. S. (2022). Impact of Pediatric Alopecia Areata on Quality of Life of Patients and Their Family Members: A Nationwide Multicenter Questionnaire Study. Ann Dermatol, 34(4), 237-244. https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.21.202