Tick Bite Alopecia: A Report of Five Cases and Review of the Literature

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Although well-known, tick bite alopecia is rarely reported in the literature. <b><i>Case Presentations:</i></b> We present five cases of alopecia of the scalp caused by tick bites. All patients were Caucasians, 2 males and 3 females, with an age ranging from 4 to 9 years (mean age: 6.3 years). <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> The mechanisms by which ticks cause alopecia are unknown. The saliva of ticks contains anticoagulants (heparins, heparinoids, and coumarins). The release of these anticoagulants would induce an inflammatory reaction on the scalp, with alopecia as the final clinical result.