Diphenylcyclopropenone in Severe Alopecia Areata in Children and Adolescents: Long-Term Follow-Up and Relapse Rate

This study evaluated the long-term effects of diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) in treating severe alopecia areata (AA) in 144 children and adolescents. After 12 months, 32.6% of patients showed excellent response, which increased to 65.8% after 18 months. The study found that clinical variables did not significantly affect treatment response, but the type of AA influenced the timing of hair regrowth. Side effects were minimal and manageable. Relapse rates were significantly lower in patients receiving maintenance therapy (47%) compared to those without it (78%). The study concludes that DPCP is an effective and safe treatment for severe AA in children, with maintenance therapy recommended to reduce relapse risk.