Distinguishing Androgenetic Alopecia From Chronic Telogen Effluvium When Associated in the Same Patient

Abstract

Patients with chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) characteristically present “with a history of hair loss with both increased shedding . . . of abrupt onset . . . and show diffuse thinning of hair all over the scalp. . . . ”^{1(p 899)} Unfortunately, what “increased” actually means is not easy to establish, and thinning hair is observed only in patients with long-lasting CTE or is limited to the central zone of the scalp, mimicking or overlapping androgenetic alopecia (AGA). In fact, the association of CTE with preexisting AGA may be, given the prevalence of the latter in the general population, a common event.