Trichoscopy In Alopecia Areata And Trichotillomania
December 2023
in “
Portuguese journal of dermatology and venereology
”
TLDR Trichoscopy can reliably distinguish between alopecia areata and trichotillomania.
This study involving 86 patients (76 with alopecia areata (AA) and 10 with trichotillomania (TTM)) demonstrated that trichoscopy is a reliable diagnostic tool for differentiating between AA and TTM. Specific trichoscopic features such as black dots, broken hair at equal lengths, and exclamation mark hair were indicative of AA, while broken hair at varying lengths, V-sign, flame hair, and coiled hair were exclusive to TTM. The study concluded that these features could effectively distinguish between the two conditions, aiding in accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, and emphasized the importance of dermatoscopy in enhancing diagnostic accuracy beyond clinical examination.