A Cross Sectional Clinical Study to Evaluate the Pattern of Acute Hair Loss in Patients after SARS-CoV-2 Infection
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Date
2024-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
THE INDIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Abstract
Background : Dermatologists have largely studied the cutaneous involvement of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), It is still debated whether the skin manifestations are a direct consequence of COVID-19 pathogenicity or a consequence of thrombogenic and immune deregulatory responses triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multiple studies are available focusing on the cutaneous manifestation of COVID-19 but only few reports are available regarding the Telogen Effluvium as a sequelae of COVID infection. Materials and Method : The cross-sectional study included 130 patients who presented with the complaint of hairfall and had a history of getting infected with COVID during the second wave (confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2). We divided the average per day shedding into mild (200-400 hairs/ day), moderate (400-600/day) and severe (>600 hairs/day). Results : A Chi-square test of independence was performed to examine the relation between severity of COVID infection and severity of hairfall. The relation between these variables was not significant, X2 (4, N=130)=2.244, p=0.691. So we can conclude that the severity of covid infection is independent of the severity of hairfall. Conclusion : Inflammatory process in mild COVID disease may not be causing severe acute condition during active infection but is affecting the immediate anagen release leading to increased hair loss after 2-3 months of infection. More research is needed to identify the inflammatory process underlying COVID infection which may even be affecting other systems of the body and may appear as a late sequelae.
Description
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Telogen Effluvium, Pandemic
Citation
Barbhaya Meet, Modasiya Afia, Patel Aanal, Bapat Nirav, Patel Krina . A Cross Sectional Clinical Study to Evaluate the Pattern of Acute Hair Loss in Patients after SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Journal of the Indian Medical Association. 2024 Mar; 122(3): 50-53