Imiquimod-Induced Telogen Effluvium: A Case Report

    April 2010 in “ Reactions Weekly ”
    NULL AUTHOR_ID
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    TLDR A woman's hair loss was likely caused by a cream used for skin treatment and improved after she stopped using it.
    In 2010, a case report documented a 55-year-old woman who developed alopecia after using topical imiquimod therapy for actinic keratosis on her scalp. She had applied 5% imiquimod cream for a total of 9 weeks, initially for 3 weeks on the vertex of her scalp and then for an additional 6 weeks on a larger area of the anterior scalp. Approximately 6 weeks after completing the treatment, she observed hair loss starting at the vertex and progressing to the anterior scalp. She was diagnosed with telogen effluvium after a physical examination and scalp biopsies. The alopecia gradually improved and resolved within 5 months after she stopped using imiquimod. The authors of the case report hypothesized that imiquimod was the cause of the patient's telogen effluvium due to the timing of the hair loss and lack of other explanations.
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