P11 A CASE OF TRICHOTEMNOMANIA
Pham HC, Skaria M, Borradori L, Harms M
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Introduction: Trichotemnomania is a rare hair disorder characterized by the obsessive-compulsive habit of either cutting or shaving the hair. So far, only a few cases that have only occurred in women have been described. This condition is occasionally associated with trichotillomania, another compulsive habit of plucking hair. Observation: We report the case of a 14-year-old African girl who presented with patchy and geometrical areas of hair loss. The patches showed short hair of different length, measuring less than 0.5 cm. There was no scarring tendency and the hair follicles were clearly visible. At examination she exhibited shaved eyebrows and hairs of the anterior hair line. The patient denied any self manipulation, but recognized shaving the eyebrows and the anterior hair margin without any explanation. The lesions apparently developed two months after she had moved from North Africa to Switzerland in the setting of familial conflict. The patient also suffered from enuresis, which appeared concomitantly with the scalp problem. The hair pull test was normal, while the trichogram showed mild hair dystrophies. Light microscopy examination of hairs obtained from affected areas revealed that their extremities were almost invariably sharply and cleanly cut. Her hair condition gradually improved over the 6-month follow-up. Noteworthy, enuresis also subsided. Conclusion: Trichotemnomania is a rare hair disorder, which diagnosis may be challenging. It should not be confused with alopecia areata. The management is delicate, ranging from counselling to the use of specific psychiatric drugs.