Publication:

A six-year old girl presenting with alopecia areata incognita: a case report

A proportion of cases of diffuse hair loss over the scalp mimicking telogen effluvium or androgenetic alopecia are found to have alopecia areata incognita (AAI) on dermascopic examination and histopathology. AAI has commonly been reported in middle aged women who present with a sudden increase in hair shedding with diffuse alopecia developing after several months. Though the typical glabrous patches of hair loss observed in classical alopecia areata are absent, the abrupt and intense hair loss with a positive hair pull test is suggestive of AAI. There are few reports of AAI occurring in children. We are reporting a case of AAI in a 6-year old child.