Cuero cabelludo lipedematoso

Lipedematous scalp is a rare condition first described by Cornbleet in 1935. An increased thickness of subcutaneous tissue in the scalp gives rise to a soft spongy appearance of the surface and occasionally causes pruritus and pain in the affected area. When hair loss is also associated with the condition, it is described as lipedematous alopecia. To date, 10 cases of lipedematous scalp and 13 of lipedematous alopecia have been reported.We present the case of a 77-year-old white women who developed dysesthesia on her scalp 5 months after the death of her husband. Biopsy revealed subcutaneous tissue thickening that even extended to the dermis. Computed tomography showed thickening of subcutaneous tissue at the vertex and in the occipital region. We diagnosed a new case of lipedematous scalp in a white women. This case highlights the importance of differential diagnosis in cases of dysesthetic syndrome of the scalp.     

A case of lipedematous alopecia occurring in a male patient

A 30-year-old Japanese man presented with a thickening of the scalp and diffuse alopecia on the vertex. A skin biopsy specimen of the thickened scalp showed an increased thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue and a marked decrease in the number of hair follicles. By an MRI examination, the irregularly thickened subcutaneous fatty tissue was visualized. These findings indicated that the patient had been suffering from lipedematous alopecia. This is a rare condition characterized by diffuse alopecia due to the thickening of the layer of adipose tissue covering the scalp. Only 4 female cases of lipedematous alopecia have been reported previously. MRI is thought to be useful for the differentiation of lipedematous alopecia from lipoma. The present case is considered to present the first male patient with lipedematous alopecia.     

脂肿性头皮伴脂肿性脱发一例

患者,女,52岁.头皮肿胀增厚伴脱发3个月余就诊.皮肤科查体:头皮明显肿胀增厚,头顶部增厚区域界限清楚的脱发斑.皮肤镜检查见脱发区毛囊明显减少,毛囊周围见褐色环状结构.组织病理示:皮下脂肪组织明显增厚,位置上移,由成熟脂肪细胞组成.诊断:脂肿性头皮及脂肿性脱发.     

Lipedematous alopecia of the scalp

Lipedematous scalp is a rare disorder, mainly described in adult African-American females. We report 2 adult caucasian males with lipedematous scalp associated with androgenetic alopecia. Patients were studied by dermoscopy and histopathology; they were treated with finasteride 1 mg. In our patients, lipedematous scalp affected the occipital and the vertex areas and pathologically exhibited mild edema and thickening of the adipose subcutaneous layer. At videodermoscopy, lipedematous scalp areas showed linear areas of teleangiectasia within the scalp creases, possibly caused by compression of the superficial blood capillaries by the increased volume of the subcutaneous fat layer within the thickened scalp. Finasteride at a dose of 1 mg per day for 1 year induced mild improvement of androgenetic alopecia in one patient and stabilization of the disease in the other. The lipedematous scalps remain unchanged. Lipedematous scalp is apparently a rare disease even though the condition is probably underdiagnosed. As a matter of fact, we diagnosed lipedematous scalp in our patients during a clinical examination for androgenetic alopecia, which was the patients' complaint. The association of lipedematous scalp and androgenetic alopecia in our two patients appears to be coincidental.     

脂水肿性脱发1例

 报告1例脂水肿性头皮伴脂水肿性脱发。患者女,44岁,因头皮肿胀、增厚伴脱发5年余就诊。皮肤专科检查：患者头顶部可见一面积约9 cm×18 cm的梭形毛发稀疏区域,残留断发＜2 cm,脱发区头皮呈黄褐色,稍隆起,明显增厚,触之柔软,似海绵状;拉发试验阴性。头部MRI示头皮下脂肪层不均匀增厚。皮损组织病理示：毛囊数量减少,毛囊由增生的纤维组织替代,少许淋巴细胞浸润。诊断为脂水肿性头皮伴脂水肿性脱发。患者及家属拒绝治疗,随访半年余,病情未进展。     

Lipedematous Alopecia in an Asian Woman: Is It an Advanced Stage of Lipedematous Scalp?

Lipedematous alopecia (LA) is a rare disease entity that manifests as increased thickness of subcutaneous fatty tissue in the scalp with a variable degree of acquired, non-scarring alopecia. Although the pathogenesis of alopecia in LA is not clear, it is assumed that the increased thickness of subcutaneous fat retards hair growth by disturbing the peripheral microenvironment of the hair bulb. LA is clinically distinguishable from lipedematous scalp (LS) in that LS is not associated with any hair abnormalities, while LA is characterized by variable degree of hair loss. However, both LA and LS share increased scalp thickness. Here, we describe a rare case of LA on the frontal scalp of an Asian woman, further characterize the clinical and histologic features, and suggest applying an integrated diagnosis as lipedematous diseases of the scalp.     

Congenital Lipedematous Alopecia: Adding to the Differential Diagnosis of Congenital Alopecia

Lipedematous alopecia is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by a thick boggy scalp with varying degrees of hair loss. It is usually seen in adult African-American females, and a case in a 9-year-old was the youngest patient reported thus far. We report on the appearance of this condition in two children, a 6-year-old child and a 10-year-old child. Each presented with congenital patchy hair loss on the occipital area and the left temple. A boggy hairless scalp with soft swelling was detected in both patients. Histological examination showed increased thickness of the subcutaneous fat tissue with a decrease in hair follicles. These features were consistent with a diagnosis of lipedematous alopecia. We report two cases of congenital lipedematous alopecia, which has not been reported previously. Although congenital, these distinct clinical features should be kept in mind in the diagnosis of alopecic hair loss.     

Lipedematous alopecia: spongy scalp syndrome

Lipedematous scalp and lipedematous alopecia are rare and closely related entities of unknown etiology Almost all cases have occurred in black women. We report a case of lipedematous alopecia that is characterized by a boggy spongy thickening of the scalp, an increase in subcutaneous fat, short hairs, patchy alopecia, scarring, atrophy, and depigmentation. The histologic finding of an increase in subcutaneous adipose tissue is notable.     

Lipedematous scalp in a child

A nine year old Maori girl was noted to have a spongy consistency to her posterior scalp. The overlying skin appeared normal, as was hair growth in that area. The abnormal findings became more extensive over the subsequent year. A computerized tomography scan showed diffuse thickening of subcutaneous tissues posteriorly on the scalp. A skin biopsy specimen showed a normal epidermis with a thick layer of mature subcutaneous fat and some disruption of the subcutaneous architecture. The clinical features and investigations were consistent with a diagnosis of lipedematous scalp, which has been described predominantly in adult women and is usually associated with alopecia. This condition has not been reported previously in the pediatric literature.     

Successful surgical management of lipoedematous alopecia

A 67-year-old Caucasian woman presented with an area of alopecia over the right occipital scalp, which had slowly expanded over the last 10 years. The skin beneath the alopecia felt soft and boggy although the epidermis looked unremarkable. Ultrasound showed thickening of the underlying subcutaneous tissue. Scalp histology showed enlarged fat lobules within the subcutis that infiltrated along fibrous tracts into the mid-dermis. There was a complete loss of hair follicles. These findings were consistent with lipoedematous alopecia of the scalp. Surgical debulking with scalp reduction produced an acceptable result in our patient with no evidence of relapse after 12 months.     

Lipedematous alopecia: an uncommon clinicopathologic variant of nonscarring but permanent alopecia

A 52-year-old black woman presented with a 5-year history of gradual swelling and slowed hair growth involving the vertex and both parietal regions of the scalp. Gradually, the swelling progressed to involve the entire scalp, only sparing a peripheral crown. She reported no history of trauma or medications. Slight pruritus of the involved area was the only accompanying symptom. There was no family history of a similar condition. Her past medical history included surgery for ovarian cysts, 10 years previously, and cholelithiasis. Physical examination revealed diffuse hair thinning and alopecia, more prominent along the vertex and parietal regions (Fig. 1a). There was no evidence of scalp inflammation, scaling, or increased hair fragility. The scalp was mildly tender on palpation and had a boggy, spongy consistency. The hairs which still remained in the involved areas were thin, short, and soft (Fig. 1b). The involved area was slightly hypopigmented when compared with adjacent noninvolved scalp. The rest of the physical examination was within normal limits. No abnormalities of the hair shaft were observed on microscopic examination of several plucked hairs. Laboratory investigations, including a complete blood cell count, blood chemistry, urinalysis, sedimentation rate, antinuclear antibodies, and serologic tests for syphilis, hepatitis B and C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, were negative. A computed tomography scan of the skull demonstrated diffuse and regular thickening of subcutaneous fatty tissue of the scalp, disclosing a maximum scalp thickness of 15 mm at the vertex (Fig. 2). The biopsy from the vertex revealed a normal epidermis and dermis, with diffuse loss of hair follicles. The most striking feature consisted of a large increase in thickness of the subcutaneous fatty tissue (Fig. 3a). Pre-existing hair follicles were replaced by vertical fibrous tracts of lamellar fibroplasia with no inflammatory infiltrate (Fig. 3b). Adipocytes showed a normal size and shape, but the connective tissue septa, which are normally present separating the subcutaneous tissue into fat lobules, were lacking, and subcutaneous fatty tissue consisted of a continuous and diffuse sheet of mature adipocytes (Fig. 3c). Orcein stain revealed normal contents of elastic fibers with foci of condensation at the sites of disappeared pre-existing hair follicles (Fig. 3d). Colloidal iron and Alcian blue (pH 2.5) stains revealed no mucin deposits.     

Lipedematous scalp: a rare entity

Lipedematous scalp is characterized by increased subcutaneous thickness of the scalp without any hair change. A 50-year-old female presented with thickening of the scalp without alopecia. She had no disorder other than hypertension. Monthly sonographic measurements without any treatment showed a resolution tendency in some areas and an increased thickness in others. We discuss the characteristics of this rare and possibly underestimated entity, including differential diagnoses.     

Circumscribed scalp hair loss following multiple hair-cutter ant invasion

A 32-year-old woman presented with an abrupt, localized loss of scalp hair that occurred on the previous day. Her nails, skin, and mucosae were normal. On the vertex of the scalp, there was a circular patch of alopecia; the hairs were broken at approximately equal lengths above the skin surface. Several erythematous macules were seen in the affected area, but scale, twisted hair, and exclamation-mark hairs were not present. Further examination revealed the presence of ants on the scalp. This patient is one of several referred to our department presenting with hair loss associated with hair-cutter ant invasion.     

脂水肿性脱发1例

患者女,62岁,头皮肿胀且局部横沟伴压痛半年。皮损组织病理示:表皮大致正常,真皮浅中部血管周围少量淋巴单核细胞浸润,胶原间纤维母细胞及胶原增生,真皮中下部毛囊周围见成熟脂肪细胞增生;黏蛋白染色示:毛囊周围及毛乳头见少量黏蛋白沉积。综合临床和病理表现,该患者诊断为脂水肿性脱发,脂水肿性头皮。     

Lipedematous scalp and lipedematous alopecia: report of three cases in white adults

Lipedematous scalp (LS) and lipedematous alopecia (LA) are rare conditions of unknown etiology characterized by a thick and boggy scalp due to increase in the subcutaneous fat layer. Besides the changes in the texture of skin, varying degrees of hair loss are seen in patients with LA. In this report, we present two cases with LA and one case with LS in white adults. On examination, a boggy and soft swelling of the scalp was detected in all patients. In addition, the patients with LA had alopecic areas over the boggy scalp. Histopathologic examinations of skin biopsy specimens and magnetic resonance imaging of the scalp showed increased thickness of subcutaneous fat tissue in all patients. The exact etiopathogenesis of LA and LS remain unknown. These conditions may be either reactive or compansatory responses versus yet undetected stimuli, or represent a genetic tendency. Both of the these entities have been initially reported mostly in adult black females, however, we believe that LA and LS may well occur in white subjects and may be more widespread and frequently observed than previously supposed.     

Acquired progressive kinking of the hair: clinical features, pathological study, and follow-up of 7 patients.

BACKGROUND: Acquired progressive kinking of the hair (APKH) is a relatively rare condition, with fewer than 20 cases reported in the literature. Whether APKH is a separate entity or a variety of androgenetic alopecia is still controversial. This study reviews the clinical and pathological features and long-term follow-up of 7 patients with APKH. OBSERVATIONS: Since January 1989, we have diagnosed APKH in 7 males aged 15 to 22 years. All patients had strong family history for androgenetic alopecia. Hair kinking affected the frontotemporal region and/or the vertex where the hair appeared curly, frizzy, and lusterless. The pathological features of the affected scalp were consistent with the diagnosis of the early stages of androgenetic alopecia. In all patients, APKH evolved into androgenetic alopecia during the follow-up period. Mean follow-up was 4.5 years (range, 2-9 years). Treatment with topical minoxidil did not prevent development of hair thinning in the scalp areas affected by hair kinking. CONCLUSIONS: The term acquired progressive kinking of the hair encompasses a number of conditions characterized by acquired curling of the scalp hair. Acquired hair kinking on the androgen-dependent areas of the scalp represents a modality of onset of androgenetic alopecia associated with poor prognosis.     

Hair darkening close to a patch of frontal fibrosing alopecia

BACKGROUND: Fibrosing frontal alopecia is scarring form alopecia and is most often seen in menopausal women. It is currently considered as an anatomoclinical form of lichen planopilaris of selective topography. We report a case of hair repigmentation during the course of post-menopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia. CASE REPORT: A 78-year-old woman developed alopecia of the scalp and eyebrows in 1997. Her eyebrows had been white for some ten years. In 1999, she noted repigmentation of a strip of hair at the edge of her scalp, but the rest of her hair remained white. The patient had not been taking any long-term drugs or any hair treatment. Histological examination of the regions of alopecia revealed lesions of lichenoid appearance at the junction with erosion by lymphocytes and keratinocytic necroses of the lower layers of the epidermis. Direct cutaneous immunofluorescence testing was negative. A diagnosis of post-menopausal fibrosing frontal alopecia was made on the basis of the clinical and laboratory evidence. DISCUSSION: 96 cases of post-menopausal fibrosing frontal alopecia have so far been reported in the literature, but to our knowledge, this is the first case combined with or inducing hair repigmentation. The other cases of repigmentation were eliminated by history-taking, and clinical or laboratory examinations. The mechanism of hair repigmentation in our patient could have been the result of a post-inflammatory process.     

Lipedematous alopecia: a clinicopathologic, histologic and ultrastructural study

Lipedematous alopecia is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by a thick, boggy scalp with varying degrees of hair loss that occurs in adult black females, with no clearly associated medical or physiologic conditions. The fundamental pathologic finding consists of an approximate doubling in scalp thickness resulting from expansion of the subcutaneous fat layer in the absence of adipose tissue hypertrophy or hyperplasia. Observations by light and electron microscopy detailed in this report suggest that this alteration principally manifests by localized edema with disruption and degeneration of adipose tissue. Some diminution in the number of follicles as well as focal bulb atrophy is noted. Aberrant mucin deposition such as that seen in myxedema or other cutaneous mucinoses is not a feature. The histologic findings bear some resemblance to those seen in lipedema of the legs, a relatively common but infrequently diagnosed condition. We present a case of lipedematous alopecia with emphasis on histologic and ultrastructural features. The etiology is unknown.     

Occipital involvement in female pattern hair loss: histopathological evidences

Background Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is characterized by diffuse thinning of hair in the frontal and parietal areas of the scalp, and preservation of the frontal hairline is the norm. Hair on the occipital scalp is thought to be preserved. Objective To investigate whether the occipital area is involved in FPHL or whether there is a diffuse type of FPHL. Methods Forty female patients who had complained about hair loss for more than a year and were diagnosed with FPHL according to the Ludwig classification were included. Two punch biopsies from both the midscalp and the occiput were taken. Histological sections were prepared horizontally and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Terminal follicles, vellus like follicles, anagen, telogen, catagen follicles, hair bulbs and telogen germinal units were counted in two sections of the upper dermis and the dermal‐subcutaneous junction. If the terminal/vellus ratio was lower than 4:1, the diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) was made. When the ratio was between four and seven to one, AGA was suspected. Results While 29 of 40 patients (72.5%) had findings consistent with AGA on the midscalp, 11 of 40 (27.5%) displayed signs of suspected AGA. Ten of 40 patients (25%) had AGA involving the occiput. Conclusion The involvement of the occipital scalp is significant in FPHL. In some patients, this situation may be so apparent that clinically visible alopecia is seen. However, in other patients, it may also present only as thinning.     

Significant relationship between temporal hair loss and other scalp areas in female pattern hair loss

Female pattern hair loss affects the central scalp, sparing the frontal hairline. The temporal area can also be affected by hair loss. We investigated the degree of temporal hair loss and correlation of other sites of scalp hair loss in Korean female pattern hair loss patients. A total of 109 women with female pattern hair loss were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. We measured hair density and thickness in five scalp sites including the frontal, vertex, occipital and bilateral temporal areas by phototrichogram. Frontal and vertex area hair loss were classified according to the Basic and Specific (BASP) classification, and temporal scalp and occiput areas were also assessed. Eighty-nine patients showed temporal hair loss. The mean of the hair density was lowest in the temporal area among all scalp areas. Total and thick hair densities of the frontal scalp were correlated with those of the vertex, temporal scalp and occiput in descending order, and hair thickness of the frontal scalp was more related with that of the temporal scalp than the vertex. In this study, temporal involvement is evident in female pattern hair loss. We suggest that temporal involvement should be added to pattern hair loss classification, especially BASP classification.