Comparison of dexamethasone oral mini pulse therapy versus oral tofacitinib therapy in the treatment of pediatric alopecia areata: a randomized control trial

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder that presents as one or more patches of non-scarring loss of hair (alopecia), occurring most commonly over the scalp but can be severe enough to involve all body hair. The most accepted hypothesis in the pathogenesis of AA is of autoimmune etiology. Limited data available on efficacy and safety of oral mini pulse of corticosteroids in adults, but no randomized controlled trials have been conducted in the pediatric age group. Several case reports and case series have described successful use of tofacitinib in pediatric patients with alopecia areata without any serious adverse events. While therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of pediatric patients with severe AA in several case series, prospective and controlled trials are needed to assess the safety and efficacy of the use of oral tofacitinib in the long-term management of AA in the pediatric patient population. This study aims to compare the efficacy of oral dexamethasone mini pulse with oral tofacitinib as well as to compare the safety profile of the two drugs in pediatric alopecia areata.