Line-Field Optical Coherence Tomography: Usefulness in the Non-Invasive Differential Diagnosis of Congenital Alopecia of Infancy

July 2024 in “ Dermatology Practical & Conceptual ”

Linda Tognetti, Giulia Galluccio, Teresa Oranges, Elisa Pianigiani, Francesca Ierardi, Élisa Cinotti, Pietro Rubegni

line-field confocal optical coherence tomography congenital alopecia nevus sebaceous of Jadassohn congenital triangular alopecia aplasia cutis congenita scalp skin morphology LC-OCT NSJ CTA ACC

TLDR LC-OCT helps accurately diagnose different types of infant hair loss without invasive methods.

Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a promising non-invasive tool for the differential diagnosis of congenital alopecia in infants, such as nevus sebaceous of Jadassohn (NSJ), congenital triangular alopecia (CTA), and aplasia cutis congenita (ACC). These conditions can be difficult to distinguish shortly after birth due to overlapping dermoscopic features influenced by scalp skin morphology and maturation. LC-OCT offers detailed morphological skin insights with cellular resolution, facilitating more accurate diagnoses in atypical cases.