A clinical and histopathological study of cicatricial alopecia

The study conducted on 40 patients aimed to document the causes and clinical and histopathological features of cicatricial alopecia. The primary causes identified were lichen planopilaris (27.5%), discoid lupus erythematosus (25%), and pseudopelade of Brocq (20%). Other causes included systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and several other conditions, each accounting for 2.5% of cases. Morphological features observed included epidermal atrophy in 90% of patients and erythema in 55%. Histopathological features commonly found were perifollicular fibrosis in 65% and basal cell vacuolization in 52.5% of patients. The study concluded that lichen planopilaris, discoid lupus erythematosus, and pseudopelade of Brocq were the most common causes of cicatricial alopecia in the studied population.