Occipital Involvement in Female Pattern Hair Loss: Histopathological Evidence

August 2009 in “ Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology ”

Tugba Rezan Ekmekci, D Sakiz, Adem Köşlü

female pattern hair loss FPHL occipital scalp terminal/vellus ratio T/V ratio androgenetic alopecia AGA diffuse type hair loss biopsies clinical scalp examination diffuse hair loss scalp examination

TLDR Occipital scalp affects female hair loss; terminal/vellus ratio helps diagnose androgenetic alopecia.

This study found that the occipital scalp is involved in female pattern hair loss (FPHL), and the terminal/vellus (T/V) ratio can be used as a diagnostic marker for androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The study suggests that clinicians should consider AGA in the differential diagnosis of diffuse type hair loss and that repeated biopsies may allow for a conclusive AGA diagnosis in some or all of the patients with suspected AGA. However, the use of only the clinical scalp examination was insufficient to diagnose occipital involvement.

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