Background
Cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 may be useful disease markers and prognostic indicators. Recently, post-infectious telogen effluvium and trichodynia have also been reported.
Objective
To evaluate the presence of trichodynia and telogen effluvium in patients with COVID-19 and describe their characteristics in relation to other signs and symptoms of the disease.
Methods
Patients with a history of COVID-19 presenting to the clinics of a group of hair experts because of telogen effluvium and/or scalp symptoms, were questioned with regards about their hair signs and symptoms in relation to the severity of COVID-19 and associated symptoms.
Results
Data from 128 patients were collected. Telogen effluvium was observed in 66.3% of patients and trichodynia in 58.4%. Trichodynia was associated to telogen effluvium in 42.4% of cases and was associated to anosmia and ageusia in 66.1% and 44.1% of cases, respectively. In the majority of patients (62.5%), hair signs and symptoms started within the first month post-COVID-19 diagnosis and in 47.8% of patients after 12 weeks or more.
Limitations
Recruitment of patient in specialized hair clinics, lack of a control group, and lack of recording of patient comorbidities.
Conclusion
The severity of the post-viral telogen effluvium observed in patients with a history of COVID-19 infection is influenced by COVID-19 severity. We identified an early onset (<4 weeks) and a late onset (>12 weeks) telogen effluvium.
Onychomycosis is caused by dermatophytes, yeasts or non-dermatophyte molds; when caused by dermatophytes, it is called tinea unguium. The main etiological agents are Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton interdigitale. The most frequent types are distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis. Diagnosis usually requires mycological laboratory confirmation. Dermoscopy can be helpful and also biopsy is an excellent diagnostic method in uncommon cases or when mycological test is negative. Treatment must be chosen according to clinical type, number of affected nails and severity. The goal for antifungal therapy is the clearing of clinical signs or mycological cure.
Foreign modelling agent reactions (FMAR) are the result of the injection of unapproved high-viscosity fluids with the purpose of cosmetic body modelling. Its consequences lead to ulceration, disfigurement and even death, and it has reached epidemic proportions in several regions of the world. We describe a series of patients treated for FMARs in a specialised wound care centre and a thorough review of the literature. A retrospective chart review was performed from January 1999 to September 2015 of patients who had been injected with non-medical foreign agents and who developed cutaneous ulceration needing treatment at the dermatology wound care centre. This study involved 23 patients whose ages ranged from 22 to 67 years with higher proportion of women and homosexual men. The most commonly injected sites were the buttocks (38·5%), legs (18%), thighs (15·4%) and breasts (11·8%). Mineral oil (39%) and other unknown substances (30·4%) were the most commonly injected. The latency period ranged from 1 week to 17 years. Complications included several skin changes such as sclerosis and ulceration as well as systemic complications. FMAR is a severe syndrome that may lead to deadly complications, and is still very common in Latin America.
These results suggest that HLA-DR6 confers protection against the development of onychomycosis in a Mexican Mestizo population. Having an affected first-degree relative significantly increases the risk of onychomycosis, suggesting genetic susceptibility.
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