High-Dose Steroid Pulse Therapy for the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata

The study evaluated the efficacy of high-dose steroid pulse therapy in 17 Taiwanese patients with severe alopecia areata (AA) affecting more than 40% of the scalp. Patients were treated monthly for six sessions, with children receiving oral prednisolone and adults receiving intravenous methylprednisolone. The results showed that 64.7% of patients experienced more than 75% hair regrowth, particularly those with multifocal AA. Relapses occurred in some cases, and the response varied with the type of AA. No major side effects were observed, indicating that the therapy was effective and well-tolerated for severe multifocal AA lasting less than 2 years.