The Hair Loss Encyclopedia

A Dermoscopic Clue for the Diagnosis of Traction Alopecia: Peripilar Keratin Casts Case Report

January 2015 in “ Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Dermatology ”

Hakan Turan, Esma Uslu, Elife Başkan, Cihangir Aliağaoğlu

traction alopecia peripilar keratin casts hair shaft alopecia psoriasis pityriasis simplex seborrheic dermatitis

Image of study

TLDR Peripilar keratin casts are a helpful sign for diagnosing traction alopecia.

In 2015, a case report focused on a 34-year-old woman suffering from traction alopecia, a hair loss condition caused by excessive hair pulling due to certain hairstyles. The study emphasized the significance of peripilar keratin casts, cylindrical structures surrounding the hair shaft, as a valuable tool in diagnosing and monitoring this type of alopecia. These keratin casts, which form due to continuous hair traction, were frequently misdiagnosed as louse eggs or nits, or mistaken for squamous scalp diseases like psoriasis, pityriasis simplex, and seborrheic dermatitis.

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