Might it be possible that I have crohns disease or another digestive tract autoimmune disease?
Yes, you are right. There is a connection to AA & Crohn’s. The cause of Alopecia Areata is obscure. Immune-mediated injury induced by possible infective, chemical, of neuropeptide stimulant is believed to cause damage to hair follicles. There is an increased incidence of autoantibodies directed against gastric parietal cells, thyroid, smooth muscles etc in AA. A number of diseases are significantly associated with AA: Crohn’s Disease Vitiligo Thyroid disease Atopy Down syndrome Addison’s disease Pernicious anemia Lupus erythematosus Scleroderma Celiac disease Lichen planus Rheumatoid arthritis http://books.google.com/books?id=CP27h0r… http://dermind.tripod.com/areata.ht
