Inherited Hairlessness: A Case Study of Familial Congenital Atrichia

Cureus. 2023 Apr 15;15(4):e37608. doi: 10.7759/cureus.37608. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Abstract

An uncommon disorder known as atrichia congenita with ectodermal defects (isolated type) can present with the complete absence of hair at birth or can cause the scalp hair to fall out between the ages of one to six months, after that no new hair growth occurs. Patients don't develop pubic and axillary hairs in addition to lacking or having scant brow, eyelash, and body hair. It could develop independently or in tandem with other problems. Isolated congenital alopecia has been reported to occur in both sporadic and familial forms. Although dominant or unevenly dominant inheritance has been found in rare families, the isolated family form often inherits in an autosomal recessive manner. In this case report, we present a rare case of familial congenital atrichia in a 16-year-old girl. There can be a genetic component to her illness because both her mother and father also show some of the clinical features.

Keywords: atrichia congenita; autosomal recessive; human hairless (hr) gene; human hairless gene; loss of scalp hair.

Publication types

  • Case Reports