Trichoscopy is today considered a necessary complement to the clinical vision of patients with hair problems. High magnification observation of hair, skin and blood vessels facilitates diagnosis and allows the activity phase of the disease to be assessed.
This atlas aims to provide a practical and immediate guide to the recognition of the various trichoscopic signs and their evaluation for diagnostic purposes. The various trichoscopic signs, their pathogenesis and their diagnostic sensitivity and specificity are illustrated. The different hair diseases and the trichoscopic symptoms that characterize them are then described in detail. In addition to the most common forms of alopecia, erythematous-scaling diseases of the head, alopecia in children and alterations of the hair and scalp in black ethnicity are also treated.
A guide to the trichoscopic diagnosis of the most common hair diseases. Rich in photographs, it allows immediate visualization of the trichoscopic signs, useful for a comparison with the real aspects observed during clinical practice.
The pathogenesis of the various signs is indicated so that the reader is able to interpret the symptoms and the extent of the problem in the most appropriate way. It contains indications on the correct magnifications for optimal visualization of the hair, skin and vessels; and the usefulness of dry or interface trichoscopy.
It is only with knowledge of the physiology and pathology of hair, and with practical experience, that one learns to diagnose and manage alopecia and trichoscopy helps in all three processes.
