This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Ruth K. Freinkel, MD; Norbert Freinkel, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1972;106(3):349-352.

Abstract
The relative proportions of telogen (club) to anagen (growing) hairs in the scalp were examined in hypothyroid subjects with hair loss to asses the basis for the alopecia which occurs when thyroid hormone is lacking. Patients with spontaneous as well as iatrogenic myxedema were examined and serial measurements were secured during restoration of eumetabolism. In all instances, deficiency of thyroid hormone was associated with an increase in the percentage of telogen hairs. Normal telogen-anagen hair relationships were restored during replacement therapy with thyroid hormone; this response was elicited even during the concurrent administration of antithyroid drugs (ie, thiourylenes). The response to treatment with thyroid hormone and the temporal correlations indicate that the alopecia is mediated via effects of the hormone on the initiation as well as the duration of hair growth.

Author Affiliations
Chicago

From the Department of Dermatology (Dr. R. Freinkel) and the Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine (Dr. N. Freinkel), Northwestern University-McGaw Medical Center, Chicago.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Nov 9, 1971.

Reprint requests to Department of Dermatology, 303 E Chicago Ave, Chicago 60611 (Dr. R. Freinkel).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Thyroid Hormones Directly Alter Human Hair Follicle Functions: Anagen Prolongation and Stimulation of Both Hair Matrix Keratinocyte Proliferation and Hair Pigmentation
van Beek et al.
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2008;93:4381-4388.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Skin Morphology of Thyroidectomized Rats
Tsujio et al.
Vet Pathol 2008;45:505-511.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The co-repressor hairless has a role in epithelial cell differentiation in the skin
Zarach et al.
Development 2004;131:4189-4200.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Idiopathic Hirsutism
Azziz et al.
Endocr. Rev. 2000;21:347-362.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Role of Hormones in Pilosebaceous Unit Development
Deplewski and Rosenfield
Endocr. Rev. 2000;21:363-392.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Telogen Effluvium: New Concepts and Review
Headington
Arch Dermatol 1993;129:356-363.
ABSTRACT  

Calcitriol-Resistant Rickets With Alopecia
Hochberg et al.
Arch Dermatol 1985;121:646-647.
ABSTRACT