Chronic Telogen Effluvium: Is it a Distinct Condition? A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Whilst there are several recognised explanations for persistent telogen-phase hair loss, for a proportion of cases, no clear underlying cause can be identified. These cases have been given the diagnostic label chronic telogen effluvium: a poorly characterised condition where there is legitimate uncertainty as to whether it represents a truly distinct disorder. Objective: The aim of this review was to evaluate published cases of purported chronic telogen effluvium and how strongly they support its existence as a distinct disorder. Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature identified from searching Embase, MEDLINE and Web-of-Science. An additional manual search was perform..