title: Quantitative assessment of scanning electron microscope defects in uncombable-hair syndrome.
abstract: Uncombable-hair syndrome is a rare disorder of scalp hair that starts early in childhood. It is characterized clinically as unruly hair and by scanning electron microscopy as longitudinally grooved hairs with a triangular cross section. Because of the controversy of inheritance and prior reports of similar changes in normal and other hair disorders, we performed a quantitative scanning electron microscopic assessment of four patients with uncombable-hair syndrome, first-degree relatives, and nonaffected controls. Our results indicate that longitudinal grooving of scalp hair is a common occurrence, and that for clinical changes to be apparent, approximately 50% of hairs must be affected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Rest
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Fretzin
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning