SS-04   SURVEY OF THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA (AGA) IN FRANCE IN 2002

P. Reygagne. Centre de Santé Sabouraud, Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris, France.

A survey on the diagnosis and treatments of AGA in men and women has been conducted among French dermatologists. A total of 535 dermatologists (13.5%) returned the survey form and they reported that in their patient populations 24% of the men (M) and 17% of the women (W) suffer from alopecia. W. are more prone than M. to communicate to dermatologists their concerns about alopecia (37% versus 19%). The androgenic etiology of alopecia is slightly underestimated: 65% in M and 27% in W. These figures are lower than in the current literature (up to 87% in M and in W - Bergfeld WF. Am J Med 1995;98(1A):95S-98S). Alopecia diagnosis is primarily based on an approach involving questioning (routinely done by 99% of the participating dermatologists both in M & W), inspection and palpation of the scalp (98% in M & W), analysis of the stage of hair loss (74% and 63%), and localization of the frontal hairline (71% and 62%). 84% of dermatologists perform occasionally hormonal check-up in W. The only widely used test is manual pull test (88% in M & W). Management. Topical treatments are largely preferred in M (routinely proposed by 64.5% versus 43.7% for W), followed by hygiene recommendations and cosmetics. Oral drug therapy is less frequent in M (routinely proposed to 25% versus 45% in W). M more often refuse treatment than W do (21% versus 5%). They also more often discontinue treatment (37% versus 17%). Conclusion. According to French dermatologists, diagnosis of AGA is based on simple tests that can be rapidly carried out in the office. Routine management of AGA in M as in W is based mainly on medical treatment, for the most part with topical agents, as well as hygiene recommendations and cosmetics. Once the patient accepts this treatment, overall compliance is better in W than in M.