Alopecia: Clinical (To be retired)
1,904views
00:00 / 00:00
Videos
Notes
Alopecia: Clinical (To be retired)
Medicine and surgery
Allergy and immunology
Antihistamines for allergies
Glucocorticoids
Cardiology, cardiac surgery and vascular surgery
Coronary artery disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Heart failure: Clinical (To be retired)
Syncope: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypertension: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypercholesterolemia: Clinical (To be retired)
Peripheral vascular disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Leg ulcers: Clinical (To be retired)
Adrenergic antagonists: Alpha blockers
Adrenergic antagonists: Beta blockers
ACE inhibitors, ARBs and direct renin inhibitors
Thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics
Calcium channel blockers
Lipid-lowering medications: Statins
Lipid-lowering medications: Fibrates
Miscellaneous lipid-lowering medications
Antiplatelet medications
Dermatology and plastic surgery
Hypersensitivity skin reactions: Clinical (To be retired)
Eczematous rashes: Clinical (To be retired)
Papulosquamous skin disorders: Clinical (To be retired)
Alopecia: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypopigmentation skin disorders: Clinical (To be retired)
Benign hyperpigmented skin lesions: Clinical (To be retired)
Skin cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Endocrinology and ENT (Otolaryngology)
Diabetes mellitus: Clinical (To be retired)
Hyperthyroidism: Clinical (To be retired)
Hypothyroidism and thyroiditis: Clinical (To be retired)
Dizziness and vertigo: Clinical (To be retired)
Hyperthyroidism medications
Hypothyroidism medications
Insulins
Hypoglycemics: Insulin secretagogues
Miscellaneous hypoglycemics
Gastroenterology and general surgery
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Clinical (To be retired)
Peptic ulcers and stomach cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Diarrhea: Clinical (To be retired)
Malabsorption: Clinical (To be retired)
Colorectal cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Diverticular disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Anal conditions: Clinical (To be retired)
Cirrhosis: Clinical (To be retired)
Breast cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Laxatives and cathartics
Antidiarrheals
Acid reducing medications
Hematology and oncology
Anemia: Clinical (To be retired)
Anticoagulants: Warfarin
Anticoagulants: Direct factor inhibitors
Antiplatelet medications
Infectious diseases
Pneumonia: Clinical (To be retired)
Urinary tract infections: Clinical (To be retired)
Skin and soft tissue infections: Clinical (To be retired)
Protein synthesis inhibitors: Aminoglycosides
Antimetabolites: Sulfonamides and trimethoprim
Miscellaneous cell wall synthesis inhibitors
Protein synthesis inhibitors: Tetracyclines
Cell wall synthesis inhibitors: Penicillins
Miscellaneous protein synthesis inhibitors
Cell wall synthesis inhibitors: Cephalosporins
DNA synthesis inhibitors: Metronidazole
DNA synthesis inhibitors: Fluoroquinolones
Herpesvirus medications
Azoles
Echinocandins
Miscellaneous antifungal medications
Anti-mite and louse medications
Nephrology and urology
Chronic kidney disease: Clinical (To be retired)
Kidney stones: Clinical (To be retired)
Urinary incontinence: Pathology review
ACE inhibitors, ARBs and direct renin inhibitors
PDE5 inhibitors
Adrenergic antagonists: Alpha blockers
Neurology and neurosurgery
Stroke: Clinical (To be retired)
Lower back pain: Clinical (To be retired)
Headaches: Clinical (To be retired)
Migraine medications
Pulmonology and thoracic surgery
Asthma: Clinical (To be retired)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Clinical (To be retired)
Lung cancer: Clinical (To be retired)
Antihistamines for allergies
Bronchodilators: Beta 2-agonists and muscarinic antagonists
Bronchodilators: Leukotriene antagonists and methylxanthines
Pulmonary corticosteroids and mast cell inhibitors
Rheumatology and orthopedic surgery
Joint pain: Clinical (To be retired)
Rheumatoid arthritis: Clinical (To be retired)
Lower back pain: Clinical (To be retired)
Anatomy clinical correlates: Clavicle and shoulder
Anatomy clinical correlates: Arm, elbow and forearm
Anatomy clinical correlates: Wrist and hand
Anatomy clinical correlates: Median, ulnar and radial nerves
Anatomy clinical correlates: Bones, joints and muscles of the back
Anatomy clinical correlates: Hip, gluteal region and thigh
Anatomy clinical correlates: Knee
Anatomy clinical correlates: Leg and ankle
Anatomy clinical correlates: Foot
Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Glucocorticoids
Opioid agonists, mixed agonist-antagonists and partial agonists
Antigout medications
Non-biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
Osteoporosis medications
Assessments
Alopecia: Clinical (To be retired)
USMLE® Step 2 questions
0 / 1 complete
Questions
USMLE® Step 2 style questions USMLE
of complete
Transcript
Content Reviewers
Rishi Desai, MD, MPHAlopecia refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body and it can occur in a wide variety of disorders.
Assessment begins with obtaining a description of hair loss and the areas involved, as well as a medical history and family history.
Physical examination involves inspection of the scalp and other body sites.
Assessment of activity on the scalp may be done with a hair pull test, done by gripping about 20 hairs and gently pulling upward and away from the skin. Normally, about three hairs may fall out with each pull, while if more than 10 hairs are removed, the test is considered positive.
A noninvasive method of examining hair and scalp is trichoscopy, which is performed with the use of a dermatoscope. This traditionally consists of a magnifier, a non-polarised light source, a transparent plate and a liquid medium between the instrument and the skin.
In some cases, diagnostic techniques such as microscopic examination of cut or plucked hair fibers and scalp biopsies may provide additional information.
The pluck test is conducted by pulling hair out by the roots.
The root of the plucked hair is then examined under a microscope to determine the phase of growth, and is used to diagnose if there’s a defect of anagen or telogen.
Anagen hairs have sheaths attached to their roots, while telogen hairs have tiny bulbs without sheaths at their roots.
Finally, getting a scalp biopsy from the centre of the lesion gives confirmation of permanent hair loss, whereas a biopsy from the edge or an area of active inflammation may shed light on the underlying disease, and depending on the suspected diagnosis, additional laboratory studies may be performed.
Broadly, hair loss disorders can be divided into cicatricial or scarring alopecias, non scarring alopecias, and structural hair disorders.
Summary
Alopecia means hair loss, but it is not limited to the scalp as it can be anywhere in the body. For cosmetic reasons, patients may become concerned with hair loss, but it can also be an important clue to systemic disease. Common causes of alopecia include androgenic alopecia, drugs, infections such as tinea capitis, and trauma.
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier, except certain content provided by third parties
Cookies are used by this site.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.
