The Reliability of Horizontally Sectioned Scalp Biopsies in the Diagnosis of Chronic Diffuse Telogen Hair Loss in Women

July 2004 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”

Rodney Sinclair, Damien Jolley, Rica Mallari, Jill Magee

chronic diffuse telogen hair loss female pattern hair loss FPHL chronic telogen effluvium CTE terminal to vellus-like hair ratio T:V scalp biopsy female pattern hair loss chronic telogen effluvium scalp biopsy

TLDR Horizontally sectioned scalp biopsies are more reliable for diagnosing hair loss in women when three samples are taken instead of one.

In a study from 2004, 207 women with chronic diffuse telogen hair loss were evaluated to determine the reliability of horizontally sectioned scalp biopsies in diagnosing female pattern hair loss (FPHL) and chronic telogen effluvium (CTE). The study concluded that a triple biopsy was more reliable than a single biopsy, with a diagnostic accuracy of 98% compared to 79%. The terminal to vellus-like hair ratio (T:V) used for diagnosis showed only moderate agreement and was not a definitive diagnostic tool. The study recommended that a triple biopsy should be performed for accurate diagnosis, especially in women with a mid-scalp clinical grade of 1 or 2, as it significantly improved diagnostic accuracy without increasing complexity or discomfort for the patient.

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Research cited in this study

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community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

in Research 692 upvotes 3 months ago

Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

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in Female 6 upvotes 6 years ago

A 23 year old female who experienced Telogen Effluvium due to stress 4 years ago, but her hair is still not back to normal. She is looking for treatments such as Minoxidil and dermarolling that may help with the thinning patches in her hair.

community I lost the fight against MPB at age 22 despite being on treatments.

in Finasteride/Dutasteride 72 upvotes 1 year ago

The user "ajsr8" shared their story of hair loss despite being on treatments. They started using finasteride in 2019 and later tried topical minoxidil, but it didn't seem to work. They also experienced side effects from other treatments. They are considering cutting off their hair and stopping the medications if there is no improvement in three months. Other users suggested trying different treatments and getting a blood test to check for underlying conditions.

community Anyone else realize how many younger guys are balding?

in Chat 262 upvotes 1 month ago

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in Progress Pictures 88 upvotes 11 months ago

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community 2Y 5M on dut, ask me anything

in Finasteride/Dutasteride 130 upvotes 1 month ago

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