ABSTRACT
Trichotillomania is a compulsive disorder characterized by repetitive hairpulling. It is an important cause of patchy alopecia, especially in children between 9 and 13 years of age. The aim of this paper is to report 2 pediatric cases presenting with trichotillomania without patches. This condition may be extremely distressful, impacting psychosocial development of children. In these case reports, we reinforce the relevance of trichoscopy in hair disorder evaluation, which allowed early recognition to better advise and conduct these unique pediatric cases.
ABSTRACT
Hair-pulling disorder (Trichotillomania) is a disabling mental disorder. Patient's behavior is characterized by the recurrent pulling of own hair with hair loss and a marked dysfunction in various areas of daily life. Trichotillomania is a relatively common disorder with pediatric onset, often associated with significant morbidity, comorbidity, and functional decline. Surprisingly, children or adolescents have been little studied in the research studies on the pathophysiology and psychopathology of trichotillomania. Furthermore, more evidences regarding the effective and evidence-based pharmacological interventions for the treatment of this condition are encouraged. This narrative review will report on the etiopathogenesis and clinical manifestations of trichotillomania including criteria for diagnosis and treatment issues of this complex mental disorder.