Monilethrix unveiled by initial androgenetic alopecia.

Abstract

An 11-year-old girl was first observed due to thinning of the hair in the central parietal region (Fig. 2). Both her mother and father were affected by androgenetic alopecia. However, on physical examination, besides thinning of the hair in the parietal region, there was a significant rarefaction of the hair in the nuchal region (Fig. 1). Moreover, there was keratosis pilaris, very evident in the nuchal region (Fig. 1, inset), but also present in the parietal region. The examination of the hairs on light microscopy showed a characteristic beaded shape with alternated nodes (swelling, Fig. 3, arrows) and internodes (thinning, Fig. 3, asterisks), leading to the final diagnosis of initial androgenetic alopecia in subject with monilethrix. Her parents, who were not consanguineous, did not present keratosis pilaris nor beaded alteration of the hairs.