Abstract: The traditional treatment of alopecia areata includes glucocorticoids, minoxidil, traditional Chinese medicine, immunosuppressants, etc., but the effect is not satisfactory. Apremilast, an oral small molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4, has been shown to significantly enhance the condition of alopecia areata according to international reports. However, there's no documented use of apremilast for treating alopecia areata in China. Herein, we report a patient with alopecia areata successfully treated with apremilast, 30 mg, twice a day for 14 weeks, and the patient's hair grew back and was black. The patients were followed up for 2 months without recurrence and adverse drug reactions.

Key words: apremilast, alopecia areata