Chronic Telogen Effluvium or Early Androgenetic Alopecia?
March 2004
in “
International Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Woman's hair loss diagnosis changed from CTE to AA; multiple biopsies important for accurate diagnosis.
The article discusses a case of a woman who was initially diagnosed with chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) but later found to have androgenetic alopecia (AA). The diagnosis of CTE was made based on a punch biopsy that showed a ratio of terminal to vellus hairs of 15:1, while the diagnosis of AA was made based on a punch biopsy that showed a ratio of 1:1, 2.6:1, and 1.9:1. The article highlights the importance of taking multiple biopsies to differentiate between CTE and AA and recommends further investigation for women who present with increased telogen hair shedding of more than 6 months' duration.
