A Hospital Based Clinical and Investigative Study in Females with Diffuse Hair Loss

Background: Diffuse hair loss is a very common condition for which female patients present to dermatology OPD. Adequate management of DHL requires detailed history, physical examination and screening for various laboratory parameters to define the contributing factors. Methods: One hundred and thirty- three females with diffuse hair loss were included in the study. Thorough hist01y, clinical examination & bedside tests were done in all study subjects. All the patients were tested for complete hemogram, serum Vit Bl2, serum Vit D3, TSH, serum ferritin and selected patients for serum LH, serum FSH, serum prolactin and serum testosterone levels. Results: Among 133 patients, 73 patients (54.88%) presented with acute telogen effluvium (ATE), 42 patients (31.57%) with chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) and 18 patients (13.53%) with female patterned hair loss. Incidence of FPHL were highest in the age group of 41-60 whereas CTE in 25-40 years. Specific etiological factors for acute telogen effluvium were found in 79.36% patients. In majority of these patients (31.50%), severe anemia (<8gm/dL) was the contribut01y factor followed by febrile illness (30.13%). Serum ferritin level was significantly lower in ATE & CTE group as compared to FPHL group (p = 0.006). Conclusion: Nonscarring diffuse alopecia can be caused by multiple factors. Serum ferritin, serum TSH, serum vitamin Bl2 and D3 levels seem to have a contributing role in the pathogenesis of hair loss, and their supplementation may be required for the faster hair growth in nonscarring DHL.