Acute telogen effluvium onset event is associated with the presence of female androgenetic alopecia: potential therapeutic implications.

Abstract

Acute telogen effluvium (ATE) is often associated with female androgenetic alopecia (FAA), but predictive factors of ATE-FAA association and clinical factors or therapies that may influence the progression of ATE to chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) have not been reported. We have identified predictive factors of ATE-FAA association and retrospectively evaluated the impact of therapies on the progression to CTE. Conclusions are as follows: (i) Triggering cause is a significant independent factor that predicts association of ATE with FAA. (ii) Triggering causes with higher risk of concurrent FAA are severe diet, iron deficiency, and thyroid dysfunction. (iii) Patients suffering ATE may benefit from different therapeutic approaches (depending on which is the triggering cause) to prevent or treat the association with FAA. (iv) Minoxidil use shows a trend to lower the percentage of progression to CTE. (v) Apart from treating the precipitating cause, the different additional oral treatments used have not shown any correlation with progression to CTE.