Diagnosis of non-cicatricial alopecia: Vision through trichoscope

Abstract

Background: Hair loss is a common problem with multifactorial aetiologies and poor response to treatment making it more tormenting for psychosocial well-being. Diagnosis and treatment of hair disorders is of utmost importance. Trichoscopy serves as an easy office tool that aids in the early diagnosis and monitoring the disease progression and treatment response.Methods and Material: A total of 200 patients presenting with the complaint of hair loss were diagnosed on the basis of history and clinical examination for non-cicatricial alopecia. Dermatoscopic examination was done with dermlite DL4 dermatoscope. The various hair follicle and hair shaft patterns were studied and pictures were taken. The results were tabulated and expressed as percentages. Results: Out of 200 patients, 103 were females and 97 were males. The mean age of the presentation in the current study was 36.26 years + 13.49 years. The various hair follicle patterns observed were black dots and yellow dots. The hair shaft patterns observed included broken hair, tapering hair, hair thickness heterogeneity, split ends and upright regrowing hair.Conclusions: Trichoscopy has a definite role in the diagnosis of hair and scalp disorders. It also aids in evaluation of disease activity and severity and guides the clinician through the treatment plan.