Rehabilitating the Journal Club: A Review of Journal Clubs in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
September 2014
in “
PM&R
”
TLDR The document concludes that severe trauma can cause temporary hair loss, known as Telogen Effluvium, which usually resolves without treatment.
The document presents a case report of a 24-year-old woman who experienced severe hair loss, diagnosed as Telogen Effluvium (TE), during her inpatient rehabilitation following a spinal cord injury caused by an airplane crash. Despite the traumatic event and subsequent hair loss, her vitamin levels and thyroid function were normal, and medication review did not indicate any likely causes for the hair loss. TE, a non-scarring alopecia characterized by diffuse hair shedding, was attributed to the physiological stress of her trauma. The patient was reassured that her hair loss was likely transient and would regrow without intervention. The case underscores the importance of considering TE as a potential cause of hair loss in patients who have experienced severe trauma, especially if the hair loss occurs within 3-6 months post-trauma and other causes have been ruled out. The diagnosis of TE can provide reassurance to patients about the temporary nature of their condition.
