Efficacy of Calcipotriol/Betamethasone Ointment in the Management of Pediatric Alopecia Areata
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Topical corticosteroids are acknowledged as the first-line treatment for pediatric alopecia areata. There are cases that are recalcitrant to topical corticosteroid application. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of calcipotriol/betamethasone ointment in pediatric alopecia areata. METHODS: In a 12-week retrospective study, 40 patients under 10 years old with alopecia areata were included. The patients were treated with a topical ointment combining 0.005% calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate once daily. The efficacy was monitored through changes in Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) scores. RESULTS: The 40 patients, with a mean age of 4.1±2.1 years, were categorized by their SALT scores into two groups: those above and below 50. Patients with SALT scores over 50 showed hair regrowth in 7.44±4.44 weeks, while those with SALT scores under 50 showed regrowth in 5.71±2.58 weeks. After 12 weeks, 80.0% of the patients showed hair regrowth and 20.0% of patients showed no response or worsening. Only minor adverse events were documented during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Calcipotriol/betamethasone ointment may represent a useful topical option for pediatric alopecia areata.
Source: Annals of Dermatology
DOI: 10.5021/ad.26.016
Language: English
Topic: Hair Growth and Disorders
Subfield: Dermatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7203702085