Clinical and demographic profile of childhood alopecia areata in Iran

Objective: to evaluate the clinical profile of alopecia areata (aa) in iranian children. patients and methods: one hundred iranian children aged less than 16 years participated in this cross-sectional study. data were obtained by administering a parental-recall questionnaire; and clinical and demographic parameters and associated diseases were evaluated. results: the mean age of aa onset was 8.9±2.1 years. the scalp was the most common site of involvement. thirty-five percent of the patients had a precipitating factor, with psychological stress being the most common factor. associated diseases were recorded in 60% of the patients, with the most common associated disease being eczema. twenty-one percent of the patients were positive for a family history of aa. severity and extent of the disease and the age of onset showed significant relationships with parents’ educational and economic status (p<0.05). nail changes were also strongly associated with severity and extent of the disease (p=0.006). conclusion: our results suggest that the severity and extent of the disease both increase with an early age of onset, low parent educational levels, low socioeconomic status, and nail changes.