Juanicotena MG, García NDK, Asz SD, Corona RE, López OPA, Perera SAB

Language: Spanish
References: 9
Page: 40-45
PDF size: 216.37 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Short anagen syndrome (SAS) is an uncommon and underdiagnosed condition characterized by an abnormally shortened anagen phase that limits hair length. It occurs mainly in the pediatric population, more frequently in girls, and typically presents as hair that “does not grow,” with persistently limited length and no need for regular haircuts. Diagnosis relies on clinical history and physical examination, supported by ancillary tools such as the trichogram, which helps identify hair-cycle patterns and distinguish SAS from related entities such as loose anagen syndrome.
Previous case reports and series have described SAS predominantly in girls with fine, blond hair, although it has also been reported in individuals with brown hair. SAS is usually benign and may show partial improvement with age. The diagnosis is supported by a history of persistently short hair without haircuts and by trichoscopic/trichogram findings (untrimmed tapered tips and a relative increase in telogen hairs).
We report a 6-year-old female whose parents noted limited hair growth since birth, becoming more evident from the age of 4 years. She was treated with topical minoxidil 2% for approximately 11 months, showing improvement in length but not density; mild frontal hypertrichosis was observed as an adverse effect. Subsequently, without treatment, she experienced a spontaneous increase in hair length between ages 5 and 6 years, although her hair remained shorter than expected for her age. The trichogram supported the diagnosis by showing mainly telogen hairs with tapered ends and no shaft abnormalities, consistent with SAS.
Key clinical and trichographic features for differentiating SAS from similar conditions are discussed, and recent evidence on low-dose oral minoxidil as an emerging therapeutic option in selected cases is reviewed.

REFERENCES

1. Starace M, Gurioli C, Carpanese MA, Bruni F, Piraccini BM,Patrizi A, et al. Short anagen syndrome: A case series andalgorithm for diagnosis. Pediatr Dermatol. 2021;38(5):1157-1161. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.14750.

2. Román Mendoza J, de la Fuente S, Ferrando J. Short anagenhair syndrome and its association with WNT10A gene variants:A report. Pediatr Dermatol. 2025;42:1169-1171. Disponible en:https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.15976.

3. Cheng YP, Chen YS, Lin SJ, Hsiao CH, Chiu HC, Chan JYL.Minoxidil improved hair density in an Asian girl with shortanagen syndrome: A case report and review of literature. IntJ Dermatol. 2016;55(11):1268-1271. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.12150.

4. Moussa A, Darchini-Maragheh E, Wall D, Meah N, Sinclair R.Low-dose oral minoxidil improves hair length and global hairdensity in short anagen syndrome. J Am Acad Dermatol.2024;91(2):346-348. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2024.03.040.

5. Francis A, Craiglow BG. Treatment of short anagen syndromewith low-dose oral minoxidil. Pediatr Dermatol. 2025;42:1-2.Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.70049.

6. Oberlin KE, Maddy AJ, Martinez-Velasco MA, Vazquez-HerreraNE, Schachner LA, Tosti A. Short anagen syndrome: Acase series and review of the literature. Pediatr Dermatol.2018;35(3):388-391. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.13478.

7. Cesarato N, Schwieger-Briel A, Gossmann Y, et al. Short anagenhair syndrome: association with mono- and biallelic variants inWNT10A and a genetic overlap with male pattern hair loss. BrJ Dermatol. 2023;189(6):741-749. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad314.

8. Sharma D, Morsia S, Ungar B. Low-dose oral minoxidil ina case of short anagen syndrome. J Dermatolog Treat.2025;36(1):2460580. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2025.2460580.

9. Randolph MJ, Gwillim EC, Nguyen B, Tosti A. The psychologicimpact of loose anagen syndrome and short anagen syndrome.Pediatr Dermatol. 2022;39(4):567-569. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.15002.