3D camera assessment of alopecia area in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of 3D camera in measurement of alopecia area in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA)
IRAS ID
235044
Contact name
Susan Holmes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS R&D
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a scarring alopecia first described in 1994. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of cases seen and it has become one of the most common alopecias seen in specialist hair clinics and the most common scarring alopecia. The increasing prevalence of the condition is impacting upon NHS medical resources due to clinical time and resources required for assessment, monitoring of systemic treatments, wig provision and the psychological impact on patients. A variety of treatments are used in the management of the disorder but none have an evidence base and randomised controlled clinical trials are needed urgently. Indeed, a recent Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) highlighted FFA treatment as the top clinical priority, along with development of alopecia outcome measures. A significant limiting factor in development of clinical trials for FFA is the lack of sensitive and accurate measurements of the extent of alopecia. Pilot studies are required to identify optimal responsive outcome measures to inform future RCT trial design. Recently, we have undertaken preliminary assessment of a 3D camera system and the initial results suggest further study is warranted.
The aim of this study is 1. to demonstrate that the 3DMD camera can accurately and reproducibly measure area of alopecia in FFA and 2. to prospectively assess the 3DMD camera sensitivity in measuring change in area of alopecia in FFA over time, compared with standard disease assessment tools.REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SC/0526
Date of REC Opinion
21 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion