Trichotillomania: A Case Report with Clinical and Dermatoscopic Differential Diagnosis with Alopecia Areata

    Ana Cecília Versiani Duarte Pinto, Tatiana Cristina Pedro Cordeiro de Andrade, Fernanda Freitas de Brito, Gardênia Viana da Silva, Maria Lopes Lamenha Lins Cavalcante, Antônio Carlos Ceribelli Martelli
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    TLDR Trichotillomania is often misdiagnosed as alopecia areata and can be treated effectively with N-acetylcysteine and psychotropic drugs.
    Trichotillomania, a psychodermatologic disorder involving an uncontrollable urge to pull one's hair, was often misdiagnosed as alopecia areata. It was associated with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Treatment standardization was lacking, but recent studies showed N-acetylcysteine to be effective. A case of a 12-year-old girl initially diagnosed with alopecia areata but later identified with trichotillomania was reported. She responded well to a combination of psychotropic drugs and N-acetylcysteine. The chronic and recurring nature of trichotillomania highlighted the need for more studies to establish a formal treatment algorithm.
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