Trichoscopy of Steroid-Induced Atrophy

Skin Appendage Disord. 2017 Oct;3(4):171-174. doi: 10.1159/000471771. Epub 2017 Apr 28.

Abstract

Intralesional corticosteroid (IL-CS) injections have been used to treat a variety of dermatological and nondermatological diseases. Although an important therapeutic tool in dermatology, a number of local side effects, including skin atrophy, have been reported following IL-CS injections. We recently noticed that a subset of patients with steroid-induced atrophy presented with ivory-colored areas under trichoscopy. We performed a retrospective analysis of trichoscopic images and medical records from patients presenting ivory-colored areas associated with atrophic scalp lesions. In this paper, we associate this feature with the presence of steroid deposits in the dermis and report additional trichoscopic features of steroid-induced atrophy on the scalp, such as prominent blood vessels and visualization of hair bulbs.

Keywords: Alopecia; Corticosteroid; Dermoscopy; Intralesional injection; Skin atrophy; Steroids; Trichoscopy.