TrichoScan findings in patients with effluvium capillorum.
Effluvium capillorum is a form of nonscarring alopecia characterized by diffuse hair shedding. This condition occurs when the normal balance of hairs in growth and rest phases is disrupted. Trichoscan is a computerized program used for digital measurement of hair growth and hair loss. This study was performed to describe the TrichoScan as a method, which combines standard epiluminiscence microscopy with automatic digital image analysis for the measurement of human hair. The study included 30 patients with effluvium capillorum (16 women and 14 men). A control group consisted of 30 generally healthy patients (14 women and 16 men). For the measurement of hair density and anagen/telogen ratio, a commercially available software (TrichoScan) was used. The results of digital image analysis from the patients showed a highly increased proportion of telogen hair roots. The authors' results indicate that TrichoScan represents a very useful tool in the evaluation of hair loss.