Telogen Effluvium and COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 is a new disease that has brought a great impact on global morbidity and mortality. There have been increasingly frequent reports of persistent symptoms and/or clinical manifestations attributed to COVID-19 after the acute phase of the disease. In this article, we present a case of post-COVID-19 telogen effluvium in a 39-year-old hypertensive and obese patient who looked for medical attention due to massive hair loss. Previous history of moderate COVID-19 4 months ago. After investigation and exclusion of other possible causes of telogen effluvium well established in the literature, the condition was attributed to the previous episode of COVID-19. Persistent fever, the cytokine storm, and the entire immunological cascade of COVID-19 can lead to apoptosis of the keratinocytes of the hair follicles, initiating the catagen phase early followed by the telogen phase with a consequent capillary release. Late symptoms possibly secondary to COVID-19 should receive attention and interest from the medical and scientific community. As it is a new disease, whose late consequences are not yet fully known/elucidated, careful observation and careful clinical follow-up of these patients are recommended.

Keywords

• Alopecia
• Coronavirus infections
• Fever
• Immune system
• Cytokines