Antidepressant effects of citalopram on treatment of alopecia areata in patients with major depressive disorder

Objective: The authors sought to determine whether antidepressant therapy could enhance the efficacy of dermatological treatment in alopecia areata patients who suffer from major depressive disorder. Methods: Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. Thirty patients with alopecia who were diagnosed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of dermatological treatment 2014-04, Vol.25 (2), p.153-155
Main Authors: Abedini, Hossein, Farshi, Susan, Mirabzadeh, Arash, Keshavarz, Saeed
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
alopecia areata
Alopecia Areata - complications
Alopecia Areata - drug therapy
Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
citalopram
Citalopram - therapeutic use
Depression
Depressive Disorder, Major - complications
Depressive Disorder, Major - drug therapy
Dermatology
Female
Glucocorticoids - administration & dosage
Hair and nails disorders
Humans
Injections
major depressive disorder
Male
Medical sciences
Mood disorders
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
triamcinolone
Triamcinolone - administration & dosage
Young Adult
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Summary:Objective: The authors sought to determine whether antidepressant therapy could enhance the efficacy of dermatological treatment in alopecia areata patients who suffer from major depressive disorder. Methods: Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. Thirty patients with alopecia who were diagnosed with major depressive disorder received 20 mg/day citalopram and 5 mg/mL triamcinolone injection every 4 weeks, up to six injections, and 30 patients received only triamcinolone injection each month for 6 months using a simple random method. Results: The mean diameter of the alopecic patches in the triamcinolone injection only group as against the combined treatment group (psychiatric [citalopram] plus dermatologic treatment) before treatment was 2.7 ± 0.7 (mean ± SD) and 2.5 ± 1.8, respectively, with no statistically significant differences (Mann-Whitney, p = 0.08). After 6 months of therapy, the mean diameter of patches reached 1.6 ± 1 and 0.54 ± 0.97 in the triamcinolone injection only group and the combined treatment groups, respectively (Mann-Whitney, p < 0.0001). Discussion: The results of this study showed that antidepressant treatment might help in improving alopecia areata in patients with major depressive disorder.
ISSN:0954-6634
1471-1753
DOI:10.3109/09546634.2013.768761