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Acquired
hypertrichosis lanuginosa
Lanugo hair is the very first hair to be made by an embryo’s
hair follicles when still inside the womb. Sometimes adults can
develop this type of fine, long, unpigmented hair. People with acquired
hypertrichosis lanuginosa have already lost their first embryonic
hair fiber growth so strictly speaking it should not be described
as lanugo hair but rather very long vellus hair.
Acquired hypertrichosis lanuginosa has been reported as an advance
symptom in many people later diagnosed with a malignancy of some
form. This excess hair was originally described as “malignant
down” when it was first recorded in patients with advanced
malignancy. The excess vellus hair growth most frequently affects
the face but any and/or all hair bearing skin can be affected. Why
a malignancy should promote hair growth is not known. Some dermatologists
suggest some malignancies may involve disrupting hormone concentrations.
Others suggest the malignancy may be producing its own hair growth
stimulator, perhaps a cytokine. Treatment involves targeting the
original cause, the malignancy. Successful removal of the malignancy
removes the hair follicle stimulation and hair growth returns to
normal.
See other pages in this section for a more detailed look at acquired
hypertrichosis lanuginosa in relation to cancer, inflammation, and
injury with more extensive reference lists.
Acquired
hypertrichosis lanuginosa references
- Ghetti P. [Acquired hypertrichosis lanuginosa].
G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 1988 Nov;123(11):617-9.
- Price ML, Hall-Smith SP. Hypertrichosis
lanuginosa acquisita. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1985 May;10(3):255-7.
- Goodfellow A, Calvert H, Bohn G. Hypertrichosis
lanuginosa acquisita. Br J Dermatol. 1980 Oct;103(4):431-3.
- Lught L van der, Wit CD de. Hypertrichosis
lanuginosa acquisita. Dermatologica. 1973;146(1):46-54.
- Gans O. [2 cases of generalized hypertrichosis
(acquired?) of the middle of the 14th or 15th century]. Hautarzt.
1969 May;20(5):229-30.
- Duncan LE, Hemming JD. Renal cell carcinoma
of the kidney and hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita. Br J Urol.
1994 Nov;74(5):678-9.
- McLean DI, Macaulay JC. Hypertrichosis
lanuginosa acquisita associated with pancreatic carcinoma. Br
J Dermatol. 1977 Mar;96(3):313-6.
- Hovenden AL. Hypertrichosis lanuginosa
acquisita associated with malignancy. Clin Dermatol. 1993 Jan-Mar;11(1):99-106.
- Jemec GB. Hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita.
Report of a case and review of the literature. Arch Dermatol.
1986 Jul;122(7):805-8.
- Gaffney CC, Roberts JT. Hypertrichosis
lanuginosa acquisita following cytotoxic chemotherapy. Clin Oncol
(R Coll Radiol). 1992 Jul;4(4):267-8.
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