Bimatoprost versus Mometasone Furoate in the Treatment of Scalp Alopecia Areata: A Pilot Study

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is an immune-mediated disease that targets anagen hair follicles. Despite various therapeutic options, there is no cure for AA. Prostaglandin analogues have been recognized as being capable of inducing hypertrichosis. Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of bimatoprost to those of corticosteroid in the treatment of scalp AA. Methods:Thirty adult patients with patchy AA (Si) were included. Two AA patches were randomly assigned to treatment either by mometasone furoate 0.1% cream once daily (area A) or bimatoprost 0.03% solution twice daily (area B) for 3 months. Patients were assessed using the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) scoring system for hair re-growth. Results: All responding AA patches showed significant reduction in their SALT score after therapy. Area B demonstrated significantly better results regarding rapidity of response in weeks, percentage of hair re-growth and side effects compared to area A. Conclusion: Bimatoprost solution represents a therapeutic option for scalp AA. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel