Albendazole-Induced Anagen Effluvium

The document reports a case of a 74-year-old woman who experienced rapid-onset, acute hair loss on her scalp and body, including eyebrows, chin, extremities, and genitalia, two weeks after completing a 5-day course of albendazole (400 mg every 12 hours) for Toxocara antibodies. She had no prior history of hair loss. Examination and histopathology supported a diagnosis of anagen effluvium, a nonscarring alopecia that occurs after a toxic or inflammatory insult and is generally reversible upon discontinuation of the offending agent. The patient showed mild improvement of hair regrowth one month after initial presentation, despite being lost to follow-up. The case emphasizes that although albendazole has a relatively benign side-effect profile, it can rarely cause anagen effluvium, which is generally reversible with the cessation of the drug.