Diagnosis
Acrodermatitis enteropathica
Diagnostic Methods
Alopecia areata is primarily diagnosed based on clinical features. Dermatologists may perform a detailed examination of the scalp and other affected areas. Diagnostic tools include:
- Trichoscopy: Examination of hair and scalp using a dermatoscope to identify characteristic features such as exclamation point hairs, yellow dots, and black dots.
- Hair Pull Test: Gently pulling a group of hairs to see how many come out easily, indicating active hair loss.
- Scalp Biopsy: In uncertain cases, a biopsy can confirm the diagnosis by revealing a characteristic “bee-swarm” pattern of lymphocytic infiltrates around hair follicles.
