Lipedematous Alopecia: Clinical, Histopathological, and Trichoscopic Findings of a Single Case and Review of the Literature
January 2019
in “
Case Reports in Dermatology
”
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Studysummary In this rare case report, the researchers described a 66-year-old African woman with lipedematous alopecia, highlighting its clinical features, the significance of palpation in examinations, and the uncertainty of it being a distinct disease entity or a combination of two conditions. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
In the 2019 case study, a 66-year-old African woman with a lifelong history of diffuse hair loss and a thickened scalp was diagnosed with lipedematous alopecia, a rare condition that leads to non-scarring but permanent hair loss. Despite inconclusive clinical and trichoscopic examinations, histopathological and radiologic analyses revealed a significantly thickened subcutaneous adipose tissue layer, which was 12 mm compared to the normal 3 mm, confirming the diagnosis. The patient's lack of response to minoxidil treatment and her family history suggested a genetic predisposition. This case, being the 93rd reported, highlighted the need for palpation in clinical exams and questioned whether lipedematous alopecia is a distinct condition or a combination of two separate disorders. Due to limited data on treatment efficacy, only symptomatic treatment was recommended.
