Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift für Dermatologie, Venerologie, und verwandte Gebiete
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Cicatricial alopecias are a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The irreversibility and cosmetic sequelae of cicatricial alopecia demand special diagnostic attention. Loss of follicular orifices points to permanent hair loss, due to irreversible damage to essential parts of the follicle or destruction of the entire follicle. ⋯ The primary cicatricial alopecias include well-defined chronic inflammatory diseases differentiated depending on the type and pattern of inflammation. Although clinicopathologic features allow for diagnosis in most cases, therapeutic limits reflect the boundaries of our present understanding. With expanding technologies for dissecting the immunologic and molecular basis, there is hope for a deeper understanding of the underlying pathogenesis and novel therapeutic interventions.