Uncombable hair syndrome
| Uncombable hair syndrome | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | medical genetics |
| ICD-10 | Q84.1 (ILDS Q84.130) |
| OMIM | 191480 |
| DiseasesDB | 32703 |
Uncombable hair syndrome, also known as Pili trianguli et canaliculi,Spun-glass hair, and Cheveux incoiffables, is a rare structural anomaly of the hair with a variable degree of effect. It was first reported in the early 20th century and was described in the 1970s. It becomes apparent from as little as 3 months to up to 12 years.
The hair is normal in quantity and is usually silvery-blond or straw-colored. It is disorderly, it stands out from the scalp, and cannot be combed flat. The underlying structural anomaly is longitudinal grooving of the hair shaft, which appears triangular in cross section. There is usually no family history, though the characteristic hair shaft anomaly can be demonstrated in asymptomatic family members by scanning electron microscopy. To be noticeable, 50% of hairs must be affected by the structural abnormality. Improvement often occurs in later childhood. An autosomal dominant mode of inheritance has been suggested though an autosomal recessive pattern with varying degrees of penetrance has also been noted. The stiffness of the uncombable hair has been reasoned to be due to the triangular form of the hair shaft in cross section. It has been suggested that the condition may result from premature keratinization of the inner root sheath.
A possible case of uncombable hair syndrome was reported in 1912 by A.F. Le Double and F. Houssay. The syndrome was described in 1973 by A. Dupré, P. Rochiccioli and J.L. Bonafé, who named it "cheveux incoiffables". Later that year it was independently described as "spun-glass hair" by J.D. Stroud and A.H. Mehregan. The famous term was coined in the early eighties.
Other syndromes with hair abnormalities may also show features of uncombable hair syndrome such as Rapp–Hodgkin ectodermal dysplasia syndrome, loose anagen syndrome, EEC syndrome (ectodermal dysplasia, ectrodatyly and cleft lip/palate) and familial tricho-odonto-onychial ectodermal dysplasia with syndactyly. However, unlike these conditions, uncombable hair syndrome alone is not associated with physical, neurologic, or mental abnormalities.
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