title: Histopathologic diagnosis of multifactorial alopecia.
abstract: Establishing a definitive diagnosis for any form of alopecia can be challenging. Adding to the diagnostic complexity is the fact that many patients have more than one form of alopecia contributing to their hair loss. We conducted a review of 1360 consecutive scalp biopsy specimens submitted for the evaluation of scalp hair loss over a 16-month period, demonstrating that 12.5% of cases had a combination of diagnoses (multifactorial alopecia) accounting for their hair loss. An approach to the histopathologic diagnosis of multifactorial alopecia, particularly multiple forms of alopecia found in a single biopsy, is here presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Wendi E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Wohltmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.|HCT Dermatopathology Services, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sperling
mesh_terms: D000505:Alopecia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012535:Scalp / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: alopecia; dermatology; dermatopathology; hair loss; multifactorial alopecia