The Role of Zinc Deficiency in the Pathogenesis of Dermatoses

The document discussed the role of zinc deficiency in the development of skin conditions, particularly focusing on its connection to hair loss. Initial interest was sparked by a 1934 study showing that zinc deficiency in rats led to hair loss. Subsequent studies by Tucker in 1955 and Dell in 1958 on pigs and chickens confirmed that zinc deficiency contributed to alopecia areata and also highlighted its association with parakeratosis and histological changes in the esophagus's mucous membrane.