title: The female pattern hair loss: review of etiopathogenesis and diagnosis.
abstract: Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is the most common hair loss disorder in women. Initial signs may develop during teenage years leading to a progressive hair loss with a characteristic pattern distribution. The condition is characterized by progressive replacement of terminal hair follicles over the frontal and vertex regions by miniaturized follicles, that leads progressively to a visible reduction in hair density. Women diagnosed with FPHL may undergo significant impairment of quality of life. FPHL diagnosis is mostly clinical. Depending on patient history and clinical evaluation, further diagnostic testing may be useful. The purpose of the paper is to review the current knowledge about epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of FPHL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, Anderlecht, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vujovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, Anderlecht, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Del Marmol
mesh_terms: D000505:Alopecia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009626:Terminology as Topic