title: The presence of trichodynia in patients with telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trichodynia refers to pain, discomfort, and/or paresthesia in the skin of the scalp or the hair. There may be an associated psychologic comorbidity. Although androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and telogen effluvium (TE) are different entities in terms of pathogenesis, etiology, and clinical picture, both may be influenced by psychologic stress and may be the cause of secondary stress.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the presence of trichodynia in patients with TE and AGA and to evaluate psychologic comorbidity in patients with trichodynia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 248 patients (153 females, 95 males), presenting with hair loss due to either TE or AGA, were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of trichodynia in these two groups was compared with that in controls (n = 184). In addition, psychiatric evaluation was performed in 25 patients with trichodynia (13 females, 12 males) and in 25 controls (16 females, nine males) without alopecia and trichodynia by a psychiatrist; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)IV criteria were used for the assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trichodynia was found in 72 patients (29%) with hair loss and in six controls (3.3%; P < 0.0001); 25 of the 72 patients with trichodynia underwent psychiatric evaluation and 19 of the 25 patients were found to have psychopathologic signs (76%). In the control group, only five patients had psychopathologic signs (20%; P = 0.0004). Of those with hair loss, trichodynia was more frequent in the TE group than in the AGA group (P < 0.0071).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trichodynia is a common symptom in patients with TE and AGA, and often coexists with psychopathologic findings, including depression, obsessive personality disorder, and anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Sişli Etfal Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. derma14@turk.net
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kivanç-Altunay
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savaş
authors.forename: Gonca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gökdemir
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Köşlü
authors.forename: Eşber Baki
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Ayaydin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000505:Alopecia / Q000150:complications*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology