LOOSE ANAGEN SYNDROME AND LOOSE ANAGEN HAIR

Loose anagen syndrome, or loose anagen hair, is a recently described c ondition of unknown etiology that may be under-recognized. The typical patient is a child with sparse fine hair that can easily be pulled ou t. The diagnosis is confirmed by microscopic examination of firmly pul led hairs, many of which are in the anagen phase but lacking an inner and outer root sheath and demonstrating a ruffled cuticle. Some presen tations of alopecia areata may be confused With this condition, but th e pull test analysis serves to differentiate them. A variety of theori es have been postulated to explain the pathophysiology of loose anagen syndrome. In some cases, there is an autosomal dominant pattern of in heritance. In most cases, this condition spontaneously improves with a ge.