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.
Alopecia areata (AA) is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder that targets anagen phase hair follicles. The course is unpredictable and current available treatments have variable efficacy. Nowadays, there is relatively little evidence on treatment of AA from well-designed clinical trials. Moreover, none of the treatments or devices commonly used to treat AA are specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The italian Study Group for Cutaneous annexial disease of the italian Society of dermatology proposes these italian guidelines for diagnosis and
Telogen effluvium (TE) is a common form of hair loss characterized by diffuse hair shedding, resulting from the early entry of the hair into the telogen phase. Inducing factors include systemic diseases, stressful events, drugs, nutritional deficiencies, and major surgery. Hair loss occurs 3 months after the causing event and is usually self-limiting, lasting for about 6 months (acute TE). A chronic form of TE also exists, when the duration of hair loss exceeds 6 months. 1,2 Patients with TE, usually women, are often deeply anxious, reporting not sleeping or waking up in the night with their hair as their first thought. The disorder is as frequent and frightening as to make the patient urgently go to the dermatologist. TE may have a profound impact on the patients' mind and would require attention, time, and empathy. 3
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.