Clinical, Microscopic, and Ultrastructural Findings in a Case of Short Anagen Syndrome

May 2017 in “ Pediatric Dermatology ”

J.M. Martín, E. Montesinos, Sara Sánchez, Chris Torres, Dolores Ramón

Short Anagen Syndrome anagen phase telogen phase trichogram Loose Anagen Hair Syndrome hair shaft bioelement composition amino acid supplementation hair length puberty SAS LAS

Studysummary This case report details a 3-year-old girl with short anagen syndrome, characterized by short, sparse hair, where X-ray microanalysis showed her hair's main bioelements were normal. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

In a 2017 case report, researchers described the clinical, microscopic, and ultrastructural findings of a 3-year-old girl diagnosed with Short Anagen Syndrome (SAS), a condition characterized by a short anagen phase leading to an inability to grow long hair. The patient had never had a haircut, and her hair was short, sparse, and fine, with a maximum length of 5 cm. A trichogram showed an anagen:telogen ratio of 20%:80%, indicating most hairs were in the telogen phase. Microscopic examination confirmed normal hair shafts without signs of breakage or abnormality, and X-ray microanalysis showed normal bioelement composition. Despite a year of follow-up and amino acid supplementation, no significant improvement was observed. The study highlighted that SAS is not associated with hair shaft fragility and that hair length often improves after puberty. The condition is differentiated from Loose Anagen Hair Syndrome (LAS) by the absence of ruffled cuticles and hockey stick-shaped bulbs, which are common in LAS. The patient's anagen phase duration was estimated to be approximately 5.5 months, much shorter than the normal 2-6 years, explaining the short hair length.

View this study on onlinelibrary.wiley.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

5 / 5 results

research Loose Anagen Syndrome: A Retrospective Chart Review of 37 Cases

13 citations , July 2016 in “Pediatric Dermatology”

This study found that loose anagen syndrome was more common in females and observed across all hair colors and skin types.

research Short Anagen Syndrome

28 citations , June 2010 in “Pediatric dermatology”

This review discusses short anagen syndrome, highlighting its symptom of abnormally short scalp hair without associated systemic diseases, and notes that hair length often improves spontaneously after puberty without treatment.

research Short Anagen Syndrome

37 citations , July 2005 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This article reviews the clinicopathologic features of short anagen syndrome in a child and suggests diagnostic methods like clinical examination and scalp hair growth rate measurement, without reporting new clinical results.

research Short Anagen Hair With Persistent Synchronized Pattern of Scalp Hair Growth

16 citations , October 2003 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study describes a 4-year-old boy who exhibits a rare, synchronized pattern of hair growth and shedding, unlike the typical asynchronous pattern seen in humans.

research Congenital Hypotrichosis Due to Short Anagen Phase

42 citations , September 2000 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This report describes two children with congenital hypotrichosis and found their short hair is due to a shortened anagen phase, with the condition resolving spontaneously during puberty.