Hair loss due to aripipirazole use: a case report

Hair loss due to aripipirazole use: a case report

Hair loss is one of the side effects that can be seen after medical treatments. Hair loss due to medications is a diffuse state that does not leave scars and usually reversible with stopping the treatment. Aripipirazole is an atypicalantipyschotic drug, which also has antidepressant effects. Aripipirazole has a partial agonistic effect on dopamine D2 receptors and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors which differs from other atypic antipyschotic drugs. It is used in several pyschiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. This report aims to present a case with hair loss due to aripipirazole use that is reversed back right after stopping the treatment. Since other psychotropic medications may also stimulate hair loss, it is possible to speculate that this side effect is a class effect of medications. However, further studies are needed to understand exact mechanisms of hair loss due to psychotropic medications.

___

  • [1] Svensson CK, Cowen EW, Gaspari AA. Cutaneous drug reactions. Pharmacol Rev. 2001;53(3):357-79.
  • [2] Lange-Asschenfeldt C, Grohmann R, Lange-Asschenfeldt B, Engel RR, Rüther E, Cordes J. Cutaneous adverse reactions to psychotropic drugs: data from a multicenter surveillance program. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009;70(9):1258-65.
  • [3] Kuloglu M, Korkmaz S, Kilic N, Saglam S, Gurok MG, Atmaca M. Olanzapine induced hair loss: A case report. Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bülteni. 2012;22:362-5.
  • [4] Uzun O, Cansever A, Ozgen F. Hair loss due to sertraline use: a case report. Bull Clin Psychopharmacol. 2003;13:27-9.
  • [5] McLean RM, Harrison-Woolrych M. Alopecia associated with quetiapine. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2007;22:117-9.
  • [6] Worthington JJ 3rd, Kinrys G, Wygant LE, Pollack MH. Aripiprazole as an augmentor of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in depression and anxiety disorder patients. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2005; 20: 9- 11.
  • [7] Naber D, Lambert M. Aripiprazole: a new atypical antipsychotic with a different pharmacological mechanism. Prog NeuroPsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2004;28(8):1213-19.
  • [8] American Psychiatric Association. Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria From DSM-5, Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013.
  • [9] Goodman WK, Price LH, Rasmussen SA, Mazure C, Fleischmann RL, Hill CL et al. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, I: Development, use and reliability. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989;46:1006- 11.
  • [10] Karamustafalioglu KO, Ucisik AM, Ulusoy M, Erkmen H. YaleBrown obsesyon-kompulsiyon derecelendirme olcegi'nin gecerlilik ve guvenilirlik calismasi. Bursa: Savas Ofset.1993.
  • [11] Olsen EA. Clinical tools for assesing hair loss. In: Olsen EA, editor. Disorders of Hair Growth Diagnosis and Treatment. 1st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1994;59-69.
  • [12] Naranjo CA, Busto U, Sellers EM, Sandor P, Ruiz L, Roberts EA et al. A method for estimating the probability of adverse drug reactions. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1981;30:239-45.
  • [13] Fiedler VC, Hafeez A. Diffuse alopecia: Telogen hair loss. In: Olsen EA, editor. Disorders of Hair Growth Diagnosis and Treatment. 1st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1994;241-55.
  • [14] Shapiro J. Clinical practice. Hair loss in women. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(16):1620-30.
  • [15] Blankenship ML. Drugs and alopecia. Australas J Dermatol. 1983;24:100-4.
  • [16] Brodin M. Drug-related alopecia. Dermatol Clin. 1987;5(3):571- 9.
  • [17] Product Monograph, Aripipirazole. Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Montreal, Canada.2013. http://www. bmscanada.ca/static/ products/en/pm_pdf/ ABILIFY_ EN_ PM.pdf. Accessed 29.03.2015.
  • [18] Drug Informer. Aripiprazole related alopecia.2015. http://www.druginformer.com/search/side_effect_details/aripiprazol e/alopecia.html. Accessed 29.03.2015.