Utility of Teledermatology in the Diagnosis of Loose Anagen Syndrome

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Teledermatology has been shown to improve efficiency and reduce barriers to care for patients. However, teledermatology is limited by the inability to perform diagnostic tests. With proper planning, teletrichoscopy can be utilized with teledermatology to evaluate patients with hair loss. <b><i>Case Presentation:</i></b> Diagnosis of this patient was made using images taken during the televisit, including scalp images taken by the patient using a handheld microscope and images of the hair roots taken by her referring doctor. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Hair tests that can be conducted during teledermatology visits include a self-performed pull test, measurement of the thickness of the ponytail, measurement of the distance from the hairline to the glabella, and evaluation of the shedding scale. These tests, in addition to mobile applications for imaging or low-cost handheld microscopes, can be utilized to virtually evaluate patients with hair loss.