Telogen Effluvium Secondary to Weight Loss and Therapy With Chorionic Gonadotropin

April 1976 in “ Archives of Dermatology ”

Paul A. Krusinski

telogen effluvium weight loss chorionic gonadotropin telogen hairs telogen ratio malnutrition hCG

TLDR A woman's significant hair loss was linked to rapid weight loss and hormone injections.

A 36-year-old woman experienced a significant hair loss, diagnosed as telogen effluvium, which appeared to be related to a substantial weight loss of approximately 14.5 kg over a six-week period, following a starvation diet and a series of 40 injections of chorionic gonadotropin. The patient did not exhibit any symptoms typically associated with pregnancy, which could have been a side effect of the drug. Physical examination showed a normal scalp with scattered telogen hairs that could be easily pulled out, and a telogen count revealed a 38% telogen ratio. The case supports the hypothesis that sudden weight loss can induce telogen effluvium, and malnutrition has been previously recognized as a cause for this condition. The findings align with the hypotheses proposed by Goette and Odom regarding the relationship between weight loss and telogen effluvium.

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research Profuse Hair Loss Due to Sudden Weight Loss and Hormonal Injections in Women

6 citations, July 1975 in “Archives of Dermatology”

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