Dataset Information

Attitudes of dermatologists in the southeastern United States regarding treatment of alopecia areata: a cross-sectional survey study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Little evidence exists to guide treatment of alopecia areata (AA). The current practices in treatment of children compared to adults and of progressive stages of hair loss are unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the current practices of southeastern United States dermatologists for the treatment of AA.

Methods

Dermatologists were sent anonymous questionnaires regarding their treatment practices by mail. Respondents' frequencies of treatment in children compared to adults and in patchy hair loss compared to widespread hair loss were compared with Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests and Friedman tests. As a secondary source, the National Alopecia Areata Registry (NAAR) database was analyzed for patients' treatment histories.

Results

Survey results suggested that dermatologists recommend treatment less frequently for children than adults and for more advanced hair loss. NAAR data confirmed that offering no treatment for AA is relatively common.

Conclusion

Dermatologists' treatment of AA is inconsistent. A stronger evidence base will provide more consistent treatment options.

SUBMITTER: Mukherjee N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2789708 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Attitudes of dermatologists in the southeastern United States regarding treatment of alopecia areata: a cross-sectional survey study.

Mukherjee Niyati N Morrell Dean S DS Duvic Madeleine M Stewart Paul W PW Goldsmith Lowell A LA

BMC dermatology 20091112

<h4>Background</h4>Little evidence exists to guide treatment of alopecia areata (AA). The current practices in treatment of children compared to adults and of progressive stages of hair loss are unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the current practices of southeastern United States dermatologists for the treatment of AA.<h4>Methods</h4>Dermatologists were sent anonymous questionnaires regarding their treatment practices by mail. Respondents' frequencies of treatment in children c ...[more]

PMID: 19909522

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Project description:IntroductionIndividuals with alopecia areata (AA) may experience significant impacts on their health-related quality of life. The novel Alopecia Areata Patient Priority Outcomes (AAPPO) questionnaire has been developed to assess hair loss signs, emotional symptoms, and activity limitations associated with AA. The objective of this study was to evaluate psychometric properties and establish scoring of the AAPPO in adults and adolescents with AA.MethodsScoring and measurement properties of the AAPPO were examined using baseline and 2-week follow-up data from a prospective, noninterventional, web-based study of 121 patients with AA (85 adults aged ≥ 18 years, 36 adolescents aged 12-17 years) with Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) ≥ 25% scalp hair loss.ResultsExploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported four single Hair Loss (HL) items, an Emotional Symptoms domain (ES; 4 items), and an Activity Limitations domain (AL; 3 items). Among all patients, the multi-item ES and AL domains had strong internal consistency (α ≥ 0.87); all HL items and domain scores had strong test-retest reliability (weighted kappa or intraclass correlation coefficients ≥ 0.78). All HL item scores demonstrated strong construct validity (r ≥ 0.52) compared with the patient-reported Alopecia Areata Symptom and Impact Scale (AASIS) hair loss subscale score; ES and AL domain scores exhibited strong construct validity (r ≥ 0.66) compared with the SF-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS) score. Using SALT scores, HL mean item scores were better (lower) in the 25-49% SALT subgroup versus those with highest SALT scores (76-100%); however, ES mean domain scores were better in the SALT 76-100% subgroup in the same comparison (p < 0.0001). Using AASIS and MCS score-created subgroups, ES and AL mean domain scores demonstrated hypothesized differences across subgroups (all p values < 0.0001).ConclusionThe AAPPO questionnaire is a reliable, valid disease-specific measure of hair loss severity and impact in individuals with AA.

Dataset Information

Attitudes of dermatologists in the southeastern United States regarding treatment of alopecia areata: a cross-sectional survey study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Attitudes of dermatologists in the southeastern United States regarding treatment of alopecia areata: a cross-sectional survey study.

Similar Datasets

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