Alopecia (overview) - Altmeyers Encyclopedia

Synonym(s)

Alopecia; Bald; Balding; Glabrification; Hairlessness

Definition
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Condition of visible hairlessness on parts of the body normally covered with terminal hair, especially the capillitium. The process of hair loss itself is called effluvium.
Alopecia can be localised (focal), diffuse or total.
A distinction is made between:
- scarring (irreversible) alopecia, which is accompanied by destruction of the hair follicle
- non-scarring alopecia (increased entry of follicles into the telogen stage or involution from terminal hair to vellus hair).

Classification
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For an overview of the various causes of alopecia, see table

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Tables
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Major Causes of Alopecia

	Etiology/Cause	Clinical Presentation
Scarring Alopecias	Congenital defects and genetic disorders	Aplasia cutis congenita, X-linked recessive ichthyosis, epidermal nevus, progressive facial hemiatrophy (Romberg), Incontinentia pigmenti, Bloch-Sulzberger type, porokeratosis Mibelli, dyskeratosis follicularis, scarring types of the epidermolysis bullosa group, cutaneous-ossal syndrome, keratosis pilaris syndrome
	Infections caused by fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and viruses	Tinea capitis, microsporia, acquired syphilis (alopecia specifica), leprosy (alopecia lepromatosa), folliculitis scleroticans nuchae, cutaneous leishmaniasis, herpes zoster
	Tumors	Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, skin metastases (neoplastic alopecia), adnexal tumors, cutaneous lymphoma; lipomas;
	Physical or chemical agents	Scarring following mechanical trauma, burns, chronic radiation dermatitis, chemical burns (alkalis and acids)
	Dermatoses	Acne conglobata, systemic lupus erythematosus (CDLE), lichen planus, lichen planopilaris, postmenopausal fibrosing frontal alopecia, circumscribed scleroderma, sarcoidosis, perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens, psoriasis capitis, pseudopelade (Brocq), Dermatomyositis, necrobiosis lipoidica (rare in the scalp), lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (rare in the scalp), scarring pemphigoid (rare in the scalp), Graham-Little syndrome, follicular mucinosis, folliculitis decalvans, erosive pustular dermatitis of the scalp (rare), amyloidosis (rare),

Non-scarring alopecias	Androgenetic alopecia(male and female pattern)
	Alopecia areata (localized, less commonly diffuse)
	Metabolic disorders of various etiologies	Malnutrition, endocrine disorders (e.g., thyroid dysfunction, adrenal gland disorders)
	Effects of medications and chemicals	Cytostatics and immunosuppressants (e.g., cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, colchicine, azathioprine), anticoagulants (heparin, coumarins), thiouracil, carbamazole, vitamin A, levodopa, propranolol, butyrophenones, bromocriptine, bismuth preparations, thallium, mercury
	Hereditary syndromes	Congenital alopecia, generalized hereditary congenital hypotrichosis (Marie-Unna), anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, Moynahan syndrome
	Traumas	Trichotillomania, alopecia marginalis,alopecia lipoedematosa
	Systemic diseases	Infectious diseases, collagenoses, lymphomas, tumors of various origins