Alopecia areata possibly induced by autoimmune reaction in a patient with human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1-associated myelopathy.

A 38-year-old female patient suffered from alopecia areata totalis followed by human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1-associated myelopathy (HAM). These two diseases have recently been considered to be related to cell-mediated autoimmune reactions. Immunohistochemistry revealed accumulation of CXCR3+ CD8+ T cells around hair bulbs in alopecic lesions.