Facial Papules Are Early Sign of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), a form of lichen planopilaris (LPP), is primary cicatricial alopecia commonly affecting postmenopausal women. For the first time, we investigated the diagnosis of FFA and LPP in patients presenting with the chief complaint of facial papules and roughness. This cross-sectional was performed among 68 patients with facial papules. We described the epidemiology, comorbidities, clinical presentations, and the association between facial papules and LPP or FFA. All the patients were female with a mean age of 47.84 years. Scalp alopecia was observed in all the patients presenting with facial papules, of which 89.7% had FFA. Five patients were diagnosed with LPP without FFA. Most of the patients were premenopausal (73.5%), and 70.6% had grade I FFA. Concomitant cutaneous lichen planus involvement was observed more frequently than mucosal involvement. The most frequent comorbidities were hypothyroidism, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. History of alopecia areata was detected in 8.8% of the patients. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) was present in 17 patients (25%). Facial papules are the silent and early signs of FFA and LPP.  Paying attention to these early signs along with metabolic disturbances can help with the early diagnosis of the disease, especially among premenopausal women.