Diffuse Hair Loss Following Multiple Honeybee Stings

In 1997, a case was reported of a 35-year-old woman who experienced diffuse hair loss, diagnosed as telogen effluvium, approximately four months after surviving a severe anaphylactic shock caused by multiple honeybee stings. The patient, who had no prior history of hair loss and normal thyroid hormone levels, presented with a telogen count of over 30% and no other apparent causes for the hair loss. The bee venom, which contains various compounds such as histamine and melittin, was suggested as a possible contributor to the hair loss due to the stress of the attack and the physiological effects of the venom. However, the exact cause could not be conclusively proven, and the emotional stress from the loss of her sister, who died from the bee attack, could also have played a role. The case highlighted the difficulty in establishing a definitive cause for diffuse hair loss when multiple potential factors are involved.