P9.119 TOPICAL DIPHENYLCYPROPENONE (DPCP) FOR THE TREATMENT OF EXTENSIVE ALOPECIA AREATA

Gwang-Seong Choi, Seung-kyu Lee, Jung-Hyun Shin

Department of Dermatology, college of medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea

We have performed DPCP immunotherapy with alopecia areata patients visiting our dermatology department for the last four years. Patients who had alopecia areata affecting an area greater than 50% of the whole scalp were selected for this study.

The total number of patients participating in the study was 39, including 29 males and 10 females. We had cosmetically acceptable responses(CAR) to the treatment

 in 27 patients (74%) out of the 39 participants. The number of DPCP treatments needed to observe the first hair growth was 2 to 14 times (average = 5.8). The treatment duration required to obtain satisfactory hair growth was 2 to 11 months (average = 6). Among the 29 patients with CAR, 8 patients (28%) experienced recurrence after finishing the DPCP immunotherapy.

When compared among subtypes of alopecia for the efficacy of the treatment, 91% of patients who had a 50-99% range of hair loss showed CAR. On the other hand, patients who had alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis demonstrated only 63% and 37% CAR, respectively. The rate of recurrence of hair loss after the treatment among the patients who had cosmetically satisfactory results was 19% and 50% for alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis patients, respectively.

These results suggest that efficacy of DPCP immunotherapy and recurrence of hair loss after treatment varies depending on the subtype of alopecia areata.