Korean J Dermatol.
1997 Dec;35(6):1101-1109.
Clinicohistopathologic Analysis of 28 Cases of Trichotillomania
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Deramtology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Chonju, Korea.
Abstract
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BACKGROUND: The patients of trichotillomania seem to have received much attention based on patients behavioral psychological aspects, but most of the patients are met in dermatological clinics. Dermatological observation of the lesion dose not seem to not sufficient.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to exarnine clinical and histopathological characteristics of the lesion of trichotillomania.
METHODS
We have observed 28 cases of the trichotillornania and exarnined their cutaneous lesions and histopathological featwres. Histopathological examination with vertical serial sections was done in 21 cases. Because hai folllicles are independent of each other and a usual 5 thickness vertical sect,ion shows only very limited numbers of the hair follicles, authors accomplished sectioning of the biopsied scalp tisue to have 300 serial sections cut and 60 representative sections observed to allow the fullest qiiantitative and qualitative examinations of the follicular pathology of the lesion.
RESULTS
The important featuies are as follows. 25 cases(89.2%) were under 18 years old with a slight male predorninance(M:F=1.3:1). Only in 2 cases, psychiatric consultation was made. The degree of involvement was vari ble from less than 5%(6 cases) of the scalp up to 100% involvement of the scalp(3 cases). Thr rnean duration of illness was 12.5 months. The involved hair follicles showed one of the following five roots of hairs they are new hairs with tapered ends, broken short hairs, vellus or intermediate hairs, comedone-like hair bodies or empty follicle orifices. Microscopical observation of thr epilat,ed hairs was done in 16 cases, of which in 13 cases there were no telogen roots of terminal hairs, The histopathological results were as follows : 1. Catagen follicles were increased in 20 cases(95.2%). The actual number of catagen follicles was 1386(37.5%) out of a tota 3695 follicles observed in the total examined slides. 2. Trichornalacia were seen ir 11 cases(52.4%). The actual number of hairs with trichomalacia was 195(10.5%) out of a total 1005 hair canals observed. 3. Pigment clumps of the follicular infundibula were seen in 9 cases(42.9%). The actual number of the pigment-laden infundibula was 148(17.9%) out of a total 826 infundibula observed. 4. Destruction of the hair canal wall were seen in 4 cases(19.0% ). The actual number of destructed hair canal wall was 190(10.2%) out of a total 1863 hair canals observed. Hernorrhage around the follicles was not seen.
CONCLUSION
The involved areas of trichotillomania were varied in size up to the whole scalp and showed four different type of hairs. Histopathologically catagen follicles increased in almost all cases with 37.5% of all follicles examined. Trichomalacia, pigmented clumps, and the destruction of hair canals were seen by less frequently.
