Temporal triangular alopecia and a review of 52 past cases

J Dermatol. 2010 Apr;37(4):360-2. doi: 10.1111/j.1346-8138.2010.00817.x.

Abstract

Temporal triangular alopecia (TTA) is a circumscribed, non-cicatricial form of alopecia confined to the frontotemporal region. The patient, a 15-year-old boy, was noticed at birth to have an alopecial area, sized 1.5 cm x 2.5 cm, in the right temporal region. Microscopic examination revealed miniaturized hair follicles accompanied by differentiated sebaceous glands. We have provided a synopsis of the past 52 cases. Of the 53 cases of TTA including our case, more than half (55.8%) were detected in childhood between the ages of 2 and 9 years, while 36.5% were detected at birth and only 3.8% (only two cases) in adulthood. There were three familial cases. Several congenital diseases were associated with the condition, for example, phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, Down syndrome and Dandy-Walker malformation. This information suggests that TTA can be recognized as a hamartomatous mosaic disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Alopecia / congenital*
  • Alopecia / genetics
  • Alopecia / pathology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dandy-Walker Syndrome / complications
  • Down Syndrome / complications
  • Female
  • Hair Follicle / abnormalities*
  • Hamartoma / congenital*
  • Hamartoma / genetics
  • Hamartoma / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Mosaicism
  • Young Adult