Trichoscopic Signs in Dermatomyositis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and Systemic Sclerosis: A Comparative Study of 150 Patients

December 2021 in “ Dermatology ”

Kumutnart Chanprapaph, Preeyachat Limtong, Pintip Ngamjanyaporn, Poonkiat Suchonwanit

TLDR Trichoscopy can help diagnose and assess disease activity in connective tissue diseases by identifying specific hair and scalp signs.

The study compared trichoscopic findings in 150 patients with dermatomyositis (DM), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) to identify distinctive features and their associations with disease activity. It found that specific trichoscopic signs, such as perifollicular red-brown pigmentation in DM, brown scattered pigmentation in SLE, and white patches in SSc, were exclusive to each condition. Additionally, DM showed higher odds of microaneurysmal blood vessels, while SSc was associated with polymorphic vessels and avascular areas. These findings suggested that trichoscopy could be a valuable diagnostic and prognostic tool for differentiating and assessing disease activity in connective tissue diseases.

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