Late Onset Loose Anagen Syndrome: A Report on Three Adult Cases

The document reports on three cases of late-onset loose anagen syndrome (LAH) in adults, a condition typically seen in children, characterized by sudden and diffuse hair shedding. The patients, one 47-year-old woman, one 40-year-old woman, and one 30-year-old man, experienced hair loss that began 1 to 3 years prior to the study. They all had straight light brown hair, with the women reporting that their hair would not grow and had uneven ends, while the man, who also had Hamilton III androgenetic alopecia, noticed his hair becoming thinner and more easily plucked. Over a four-year follow-up, the 47-year-old woman showed improvement, but the condition remained stable in the other woman. The study suggests that adult-onset LAH may be underdiagnosed, as it can be mistaken for telogen effluvium, and emphasizes the importance of microscopic examination of pulled hairs for correct diagnosis.