Structural hair shaft abnormalities in hypomelanosis of ito and other ectodermal dysplasias

Hair samples from patients with different ectodermal dysplasias; hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, pachyonychia congenita, tricho-dento-osseous syndrome, tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome, and hypomelanosis of Ito were investigated using a scanning electron microscope. The hairs of the patients showed different structural abnormalities; twisted hairs, longitudinal grooves, trichorrhexis nodosa as well as variations in the hair caliber. Hair shaft abnormalities, as in our patients with tricho-dento-osseous syndrome, and hypomelanosis of Ito have so far not been described.