Familial Cicatricial Alopecia: Report of Familial Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Fibrosing Alopecia in a Pattern Distribution

Abstract

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) and fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution (FAPD) as originally reported by Kossard in 1994 and by Zinkernagel and Trüeb in 2000, respectively, represent two distinct patterns of cicatricial pattern hair loss. Both share a patterned distribution and histological evidence of a lichenoid follicular inflammation with fibrosis. FFA is characterized by a marginal alopecia along the frontotemporal hairline, and FAPD by a progressive alopecia of the centroparietal scalp. Since the original reports, evidence has accumulated that there exists considerable clinical overlap among FFA, FAPD, and lichen planopilaris, with coexistence of features of the three conditions within the same individual. Moreover, familial cases of FFA have been reported, pointing to a possible genetic background to the condition. Our observation of familial occurrence of FFA and FAPD in daughter and mother, respectively, further underscore a nosologic relationship between the two conditions with respect to both an androgenetic background and the (lichenoid) inflammatory reaction pattern.

Keywords: Cicatricial pattern alopecia; familial occurrence; fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution; frontal fibrosing alopecia.

Figure 1

Symmetric, cicatricial band of frontal hairline recession with lonely hairs

Figure 2

Inflammatory scarring alopecia of the central scalp area