A case of reversible telogen effluvium caused by a drug [İlaca bagli gelişen bir reversibl effluvium olgusu]

Effluvium, known as diffuse hair loss, is seen as anagen and telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium, hair follicles pass from anagen phase to telogen phase prematurely. Certain drugs such as anticoagulants, cytostatics, interpherons, retinoids, lithium carbonate, ß- blockers, antimalarials, sexual hormone preparations and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors may be cause of effluvium. In this case, we present a 52 years old female patient suffering from diffuse hair loss after using conjugate estrogen plus progesterone preparation for nearly one-month. Etiological investigations revealed no certain pathological results. After cessation of treatment, hair loss diminished and complete hair regrowth was observed during follow up period. In this report, current literatures related to the topic were reviewed and the role of sexual hormone preparations on hair loss was emphasized.