PubMed Health⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 2701796

Alopecia: histologic changes.

W F Bergfeld
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The major types of alopecia that can be diagnosed histologically are androgenic alopecia, alopecia areata, trichotillomania, inflammatory scarring alopecias, pseudopelade, and anagen and telogen effluviums. Important to recognize are the common histologic features in chronic alopecias, which include follicular plugging, decreased numbers of hair follicles, frequent increased fibrous tracts, and superficial changes of actinic damage. Specific helpful changes to be observed are (1) the presence of actinically damaged skin that would reveal a chronic alopecic condition, (2) the presence and site of the dermal inflammation, (3) whether there is a decrease in the numbers of hair follicles and the presence of a reversal of the anagen/telogen ratio, (4) miniaturization of the hair follicle, (5) evidence of involution, and (6) the presence of scarring as demonstrated with elastic fiber stains. By assessing these histologic changes, the dermatopathologist can make a reasonably specific diagnosis of alopecia.

Explore related subjects

Acute DiseaseAlopeciaChronic DiseaseFemaleHairHumansLichen PlanusLupus Erythematosus, DiscoidMaleTrichotillomaniaJournal ArticleReview

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

W F Bergfeld. 1989. Alopecia: histologic changes.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2701796/

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed1993

Acute rheumatic fever.

A funny thing has happened on our way to the elimination of rheumatic fever from the United States. It is quite clear that, at least in some areas, rheumatic fever has made a dramatic resurgence. Although all the factors accounting for this are not clearly understood, there are several obvious conclusions that must be drawn: 1. Rheumatic fever is no longer the province of the poor and overcrowded. 2. Clinical manifestations, as embodied in the Jones criteria, may have changed somewhat over the years. 3. New insights into the genetics and immunology of rheumatic fever may lead to a vaccine and/or effective therapy in the future. 4. Rheumatic fever will continue to occur unless and until we resume an aggressive approach to the treatment and prophylaxis of pharyngitis, probably utilizing benzathine penicillin as our primary drug.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Epidemiology of invasive childhood pneumococcal infections in Israel. The Israeli Pediatric Bacteremia and Meningitis Group.

OBJECTIVE: To study the epidemiology of childhood pneumococcal invasive infections in Israel as a background for immunization programs. DESIGN: A 2-year (October 1988 through September 1990) prospective, nationwide surveillance of all invasive pediatric pneumococcal infections. SETTING: All 25 medical centers hospitalizing children in Israel, including all laboratories performing blood cultures from pediatric patients. PATIENTS: Infants and children aged 0 to 12 years visiting the pediatric emergency department or hospitalized in pediatric departments were included if Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-nine invasive infections were diagnosed. Pneumonia, bacteremia without apparent focus, meningitis, and cellulitis were found in 39%, 37%, 17%, and 3%, respectively. The annual incidence was 42 per 100,000 for children younger than 5 years of age (104 per 100,000 for those < 12 months old). The two most common serotypes were 1 and 5, which are rare in Western Europe and North America. Eight groups comprised 82% of all invasive infections. Extrapolated to a population in which 100,000 live births occur yearly, the total annual hospitalizations for pneumococci infections was calculated to be 1928 days. The overall case-fatality rate was 2.2%, but it was 30% during the first month of life. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumococcal invasive infections are common in children in Israel and carry considerable morbidity.

Acute Disease↗