Hypertrichosis Lanuginosa Acquisita Following Cytotoxic Chemotherapy

The document reports three cases of Hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita (HLA), a rare condition characterized by abnormal growth of fine downy hair, following cytotoxic chemotherapy for cancer. The first case involved a 47-year-old male with a suspected bronchogenic carcinoma who developed HLA after receiving cyclophosphamide. The second case was a 57-year-old woman with large cell carcinoma who noticed excessive hair growth after a combination chemotherapy regimen. The third case was a 43-year-old woman with breast carcinoma who experienced HLA confined to her face and neck after chemotherapy with ifosfamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil. In all cases, HLA appeared after the initiation of chemotherapy and coincided with scalp alopecia, a known side effect of chemotherapy. The paper discusses the association of HLA with malignancy and suggests that cytotoxic agents might induce unusual hair growth, as they can cause alopecia followed by a change in hair nature. The pathogenesis of HLA remains unknown, and while the cases were not extensively investigated, the literature review suggests no obvious hormonal cause. The paper concludes that the connection between malignancy and HLA is clear, and some drugs, including cytotoxic agents, may cause hypertrichosis.