CLINICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC FEATURES OF HAIR LOSS IN PATIENTS WITH HIV-1 INFECTION

Background: Hair loss is common in patients with HIV-1 infection, and in black patients this loss may be associated with straightening. Poss ible causes are frequently present in patients with HIV-1. These cause s include chronic HIV-1 infection itself and recurrent secondary infec tions; nutritional deficiencies, immunologic and endocrine dysregulati on, and exposure to multiple drugs. However, histopathologic features have rarely been reported in these patients. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the changes in the hairs of a group of these patients and to identify the light microscopic and ultrastructural changes in t he hairs and the histologic changes in the scalp. Methods: Hair plucks and pulls with scanning electron microscopy of the hairs were done on 10 patients with late-stage HIV-1 infection. In addition, scalp biops y specimens were examined in both vertical and transverse sections. Re sults: All patients had telogen effluvium. Numerous apoptotic or necro tic keratinocytes were seen in the upper external root sheath follicul ar epithelium in addition to a mild to moderate perifollicular mononuc lear cell infiltrate often containing eosinophils. Variable dystrophy of the hair shafts was also a consistent feature. Conclusion: Although telogen effluvium is a common response to a wide spectrum of biologic stresses, the presence of apoptotic or necrotic keratinocytes within the upper end of the external root sheath epithelium and dystrophy of hairs may be markers of hair loss in patients with HIV-1 infection.