Thermal imaging and dermoscopy for detecting inflammation in frontal fibrosing alopecia.BACKGROUND
 To objectively quantify the activity of the inflammatory process in FFA, 22 female patients were examined by both infrared thermography and optical dermoscopy before tissue sampling.  Using the thermography findings, 17 (77%) patients were considered to have the active FFA and five (23%) patients had the inactive one.  The clinical assessment of active FFA was most accurate using thermal imaging combined with dermoscopy, with a sensitivity of 64%, a specificity of 88%, a positive predictive value of 90%, and an negative predictive value of 58%.


 We believe that infrared thermography is a noninvasive and accessible imaging modality that may serve as a complementary tool in FFA diagnosis.
THERM