Alopecia Areata in a girl of 10

CASE RECORD:

Child XY, 10 years old, female, wheatish complexion and moderate build came to my clinic with her mother having a complaint of hair falling in spots on 09-Sept- 2018 and said to me can you stop my hair fall.

Present History: Patient had a complaint of hair fall in patches with some bald spots. She felt itching and dandruff at some places on the scalp. After scratching, dandruff gets removed in a little quantity. There is profuse sweating on the scalp along with itching.

Patient felt ashamed due to the bald spots. Hair falling aggravates while combing the hairs and even by touching gently. She had this complaint for the last 1-2 months. She was using known Ayurvedic hair oil from last 1 month but her complaint had become worse after a small interval of relief.

Past History:  She had hair fall on combing the hairs 2 months before. She took Ayurvedic medicines with ayurvedic hair oil application and she got relief, but after 1 month hair fall become worse and the hairs start falling in bunches even on touch also.

Family History:

• Father: 36 yrs old, healthy alive, Building Contractor
• Mother: 32 yrs old, healthy alive, Housewife

Patient as a Whole:
Desire: Ice cream, cold drinks
Aversion: Vegetables
Appetite: 1-2 Chapatis/meal, 2-3 times in a day.
Thirst: 2-3 liters per day, takes cold water
Stool: Constipated, hard, pass with difficulty
Sweating: Profuse on scalp with itching
T/R: Chilly
Modalities: < combing, Touch

MIND: Shy nature
Ashamed due to bald spots
Introverted
Careless
Weak memory, forgets easily

ANALYSIS OF SYMPTOMS:

Mental Generals: Shy
Introvert
Careless
Ashamed due to bald spots
Forgetfulness

Physical Generals: Desire for Ice cream and cold drinks
Aversion vegetables
Hard stool and pass with difficulty
Chilly patient
Profuse sweating with itching

Particulars: Hair Fall in bunches
Hair Fall < combing
Hair Fall < Touch
Profuse sweating on scalp with itching
Dandruff on scalp with itching

Modalities: < on combing
< on touch

EVALUATION OF SYMPTOMS:
-Shy Nature
-Introverted
-Desire for ice cream
-Desire for cold drinks
– Hard stool and pass with difficulty
– Hair fall in bunches or spots
– Hair fall < on combing
– Dandruff on scalp

Synthesis Repertory has been selected due to marked particulars.

REPERTORIAL TOTALITY AND REPERTORIZATION:

 

Fig. 1 Repertory Sheet

ANALYSIS OF REPERTORIAL RESULT:

S.NO.	MEDICINE	MARK OBTAIN
1.	PHOSPHOROUS	20/7
2.	CALCAREA CARBONICUM	16/7
3.	BRYONIA ALBA	14/6

SLECTION OF MEDICINE:

Phosphorus was selected as it got highest marks on repertorization and covered maximum rubrics in higher grades. It had falling of hair in large bunches on forepart of head, and especially alopecia areata^[5].

Itching of scalp, dandruff,.^[6] The scalp is covered with dandruff; the hair falls out in patches leaving bald places here and there.^[7]  Calcarea  covers almost all the rubrics but the grading was less than phosphorous. Bryonia does not cover the chief complaint of the case, i.e falling of hairs in patches or spots.

PRESCRIPTION

Date	Symptoms	Priscription
09 Sept. 2018	Hair fall in spots Hair fall < on combing Dandruff on scalp present	Phosphorous 200 1 dose Rubrum 30 tds x 15 days

 Table 1: FOLLOW UP SHEET

Date	Symptoms	Prescribed Medicine
26 Sept. 2018	Status Quo	Rx      Rubrum 30 TDS                                      X 15 days
12Oct. 2018	Status Quo	Rx      Phosphorus 1M  1Dose      Sac. Lac. 30 TDS                                      X 15 days
28 Oct. 2018	Dandruff and itching ameliorate Hair fall constant	Rx      Sac. Lac. 30 TDS                                      X 15 days
15  Nov. 2018	Hair Fall becomes less	Rx      Sac. Lac.  30 TDS                                      X 15 days
01  Dec. 2018	Complaint comes to stand still	Rx     Phosphorus 1M  1Dose     Sac. Lac. 30                                      X 15 days
18 Dec. 2018	Hair fall has stopped and in bald spots new growth of hairs appears	Rx             Sac. Lac. 30 TDS 6 hourly                                      X 15 days
05 Jan. 2019	Hair growth continues	Rx   Sac. Lac. 30  TDS                                     X 15 days
22 Jan. 2019	Bald spots start covered with hairs	Rx      Sac. Lac. 30  TDS                                     X 15 days
11 Feb. 2019	Bald spots get completely covered with hairs	Rx      Sac. Lac. 30  TDS 6 hourly                                     X 15 days

Before Treatment

During Treatment

After Treatment

CONCLUSION:

This case shows the role of homoeopathy in the treatment of Alopecia areata. She is very happy now and as she doesn’t feel embarrassed any more. Her memory also improved during the treatment. This case shows how the constitutional remedy acts on the mental level also. It also  shows  that individualization is very  important  for  effective  homoeopathic  treatment.

REFERENCES:                                                                                  

1. Master J. Farokh. SKIN Homeopathic Approach to DERMATOLOGY. 2^ndRevised Edition. B. JAIN PUBLISHERS(P) Ltd.2006
2. https://www.icpcn.org/the-international-childrens-palliative-care-network-icpcn/
3. Khanna Neena. Illustrated Synopsis of Dermatology and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 5^th ELSEVIER.2016
4. Gupta Ramji, Manchanda R.K. Textbook of DERMATOLOGY for HOMEOPATHS. 4^th Edition, B. JAIN PUBLISHERS(P) Ltd.2006
5. Clark J.H. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. B. JAIN PUBLISHERS(P) Ltd. Vol 1,2,3.2003
6. Boericke William. BOERICKE’S New Manual of Homoeopathic MATERIA MADICA with REPERTORY. 3^rdRevised and Augmented Edition. B. JAIN PUBLISHERS(P) Ltd.2007
7. Kent J.T. Lectures on HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA. Low Price Edition. . B. JAIN PUBLISHERS(P) Ltd.2002