Polarized Transilluminating Dermoscopy in Diagnosis of Hair Shaft Disorders.

Background: Polarized transilluminating dermoscopy is a novel technique that can be used to diagnose hair shaft disorders. The technique has been used once to describe the findings of trichothiodystrophy, but its use in other hair shaft disorders has not yet been studied.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and utility of polarized transilluminating dermoscopy (PTD) in various hair shaft disorders and describe the observations noted.

Methods: Six patients with suspected hair shaft disorder were enrolled based on history and clinical examination. Trichogram, trichoscopy, and PTD were performed in all the cases, and the findings were described.

Result: PTD enhances the visualization of hair shaft disorders, including pili torti, trichorrhexis nodosa, trichorrhexis invaginata, pili trianguli et canaliculi, and woolly hair. The utilization of the given method in hair analysis represents a significant advancement in the field, offering distinctive insights into the inner structures of hair shafts.

Conclusion: In contrast to simple trichoscopy using a polarizing dermatoscope, PTD revealed detailed defects and was confirmatory for the diagnosis of the respective disorder.