Hormonal and Gynecological Risk Factors in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a condition that likely involves an interplay of autoimmune, hormonal, and environmental factors in its pathogenesis. There is a lack of comparative studies demonstrating the presence of hormonal background differences in FFA patients compared to the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-center case-control study was designed, including 104 female FFA patients and 208 controls. Patients and controls were interviewed, and extensive data regarding their gynecological and hormonal background were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred four cases and 208 age-matched controls were included in the study. A significant difference of 2 years in the age of menopause was detected with a consistent mean increase in fertile life for the control group of 1.7 years. After the multivariate analysis, we found previous intake of tamoxifen to be a risk factor for the development of FFA (OR 14.89). The only protective factor identified was the previous use of an intrauterine device (IUD) (OR 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: An earlier menopause and tamoxifen intake might promote or maintain FFA, while the use of an IUD might protect from developing FFA. Our results support the previously proposed hypothesis of an underlying hormonal mechanism in the etiopathogenesis of FFA and point out low-estrogen environments as an ideal condition for FFA development.