Ann Dermatol.  2018 Apr;30(2):214-217. 10.5021/ad.2018.30.2.214.

Localized Telogen Effluvium Following Hair Transplantation

• Loh SH
• Lew BL
• Sim WY

• KMID: 2414684
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2018.30.2.214

Abstract

Telogen effluvium is categorized in nonscarring alopecia, which shows scalp hair thinning and shedding diffusely resulting from inducing factors such as physiological stressful events and several acute or chronic diseases. It usually appears in female patients following parturition, as well as after febrile disease, major surgery, emotional stress, abrupt diet, chronic illness, or the taking of certain medication pills. Two patients who both recalled an operational history of hair transplantation visited our department with their frontal and both temporal hair loss. Physical examination of the both patients showed localized but diffuse hair loss, especially in the frontal and temporal scalp. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimen taken from their temporal scalp revealed normal follicular density and increased numbers of telogen hair follicles without any inflammatory cell infiltration around follicles. These clinical and histopathological findings were consistent with telogen effluvium. Both of them were reassured and placed on close follow-up without any treatment. From these cases, we demonstrate that localized telogen effluvium could be a cause of hair loss after hair transplantation.

Keyword

Hair transplantation; Telogen effluvium

MeSH Terms

Alopecia
Biopsy
Chronic Disease
Diet
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Hair Follicle
Hair*
Humans
Parturition
Physical Examination
Scalp
Stress, Physiological
Stress, Psychological

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Case 1. Some diffuse hair loss especially in the (A) frontal and (B) temporal areas with (C) scar of donor site of hair transplantation. Case 2. Some diffuse hair loss especially in the (D) frontal and (E) temporal areas with (F) scar of donor site of hair transplantation.

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  Fig. 2 Case 1. (A, B) Vertical section. Decreased number of hair follicles and few perifollicular infiltration of inflammatory cells (H&E; A: ×40, B: ×100, respectively). (C, D) Transverse section. Increased number of telogen staged hair follicles and no hair follicle in the deep dermis and subcutaneous level (H&E; C, D: ×40). Case 2. (E, F) Vertical section. Decreased number of hair follicles and few perifollicular infiltration of inflammatory cells (H&E; E: ×40, F: ×100, respectively). (G, H) Transverse section. Increased number of telogen staged hair follicles and no hair follicle in the deep dermis and subcutaneous level (H&E; G, H: ×40).

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