Telogen Effluvium and COVID-19: A Case and a Brief Review of Literature

The document presents a case of Telogen Effluvium (TE), a form of temporary hair loss, in a 39-year-old patient who had previously suffered from moderate COVID-19 four months prior. The patient, who was also hypertensive and obese, sought medical attention due to significant hair loss. After ruling out other potential causes of TE, the condition was attributed to the previous COVID-19 infection. The authors suggest that the persistent fever, cytokine storm, and overall immune response triggered by COVID-19 could lead to the apoptosis of keratinocytes in hair follicles, thereby prematurely initiating the catagen phase followed by the telogen phase, resulting in hair loss. The document emphasizes the need for medical and scientific communities to pay attention to late symptoms potentially secondary to COVID-19, given that the long-term consequences of the disease are not yet fully understood.