Alopecia universalis in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency.

A 12-year-old boy with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) who developed severe alopecia is presented. His sister also had alopecia and recurrent infections and died of lung infection at the age of 7 years. The loss of hair in both children was total; the pathology of a scalp skin biopsy specimen was typical for alopecia areata. The boy was subjected to clinical and immunologic evaluation and the results were compatible with common variable immunodeficiency.