title: Fox-Fordyce disease following axillary laser hair removal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fox-Fordyce disease (FFD) is a relatively rare entity with a typical clinical presentation. Numerous studies have described unifying histopathological features of FFD, which together suggest a defect in the follicular infundibulum resulting in follicular dilation with keratin plugging, subsequent apocrine duct obstruction, and apocrine gland dilation, with eventual extravasation of the apocrine secretions as the primary histopathogenic events in the evolution of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a case of FFD that developed in a 41-year-old woman 3 months after completing a series of axillary laser hair removal treatments, and we detail the clinical and histopathological changes typical for FFD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because defective infundibular maturation has been suggested to play a central role in the evolution of FFD, the close temporal relationship of laser hair therapy with the development of FFD suggests a causal role, which we continue to explore.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce St, 2 Maloney Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. michael.tetzlaff1@gmail.com
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tetzlaff
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Danielle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: DeHoratius
authors.forename: Rochelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cotsarelis
authors.forename: Rosalie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elenitsas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla; D005260:Female; D005588:Fox-Fordyce Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006204:Hair Removal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*