Association of vitiligo and alopecia areata with atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

JAMA Dermatol. 2015 May 1;151(5):522-8. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.3324

Earlier studies point to a link between atopic dermatitis (AD) and alopecia areata (AA), but it had not been clearly established. That is why Mohan and Silverberg carried out an extensive literature search and a systematic analysis of published observational studies. They found that the risk of AD in patients with AA was significantly higher than in controls. Patients with alopecia universalis and totalis also had a higher risk of AD than patients with patchy AA. These results suggest a pathogenetic mechanism or genetic predisposition shared by AD and AA; moreover, common inflammatory pathways are activated in both. Despite the promising results of this review, the analysis has many limitations: its findings rest on a small number of studies with high variability.