1. Trichotillomania: a case report with clinical and dermatoscopic differential diagnosis with alopecia areata.
- Author
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Pinto AC, Andrade TC, Brito FF, Silva GV, Cavalcante ML, and Martelli AC
- Subjects
- Acetylcysteine therapeutic use, Child, Diagnosis, Differential, Doxepin therapeutic use, Female, Fluoxetine therapeutic use, Humans, Pimozide therapeutic use, Trichotillomania drug therapy, Alopecia Areata diagnosis, Psychotropic Drugs therapeutic use, Trichotillomania diagnosis
- Abstract
Trichotillomania is a psychodermatologic disorder characterized by uncontrollable urge to pull one's own hair. Differential diagnoses include the most common forms of alopecia such as alopecia areata. It is usually associated with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Trichotillomania treatment standardization is a gap in the medical literature. Recent studies demonstrated the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (a glutamate modulator) for the treatment of the disease. We report the clinical case of a 12-year-old female patient who received the initial diagnosis of alopecia areata, but presented with clinical and dermoscopic features of trichotillomania. She was treated with the combination of psychotropic drugs and N-acetylcysteine with good clinical response. Due to the chronic and recurring nature of trichotillomania, more studies need to be conducted for the establishment of a formal treatment algorithm.
- Published
- 2017
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