What is the life expectancy of someone with hypertrichosis?

Life expectancy is two to three years.

How is hypertrichosis caused?

What causes hypertrichosis? The cause of hypertrichosis is unknown. Congenital hypertrichosis is believed to be a genetic disorder that is inherited or occurs as a result of spontaneous mutation. Acquired hypertrichosis lanuginosa sometimes occurs in people who at a later stage are diagnosed with a cancer of some form.

What causes Wolfman syndrome?

Causes of this condition Congenital hypertrichosis may be caused by reactivation of genes that cause hair growth. The genes that caused extensive hair growth in early man have “shut down” during the course of evolution.

How is Ambras syndrome treated?

There is no treatment for congenital Ambras syndrome. Patients may choose to shave, pluck or have hair removed using electrical methods. Efficacy ranges from a few hours after shaving to permanent hair removal if electrology is used.

Is hypertrichosis life threatening?

Hypertrichosis itself has no life threatening complications.

Is it normal to have body hair everywhere?

It is typical for females to have fine hair all over the body, including the face. Many women also notice thicker, darker hairs on the stomach, chin, and chest. According to the scale, fine hair is ‘normal,’ as are a few coarse strays. It is more likely to be a problem when hair is thick on many areas of the body.

How is werewolf syndrome inherited?

Congenital generalized hypertrichosis has a dominant pattern of inheritance and has been linked to chromosome Xq24-27.1. An affected female (carrying the hypertrichosis gene) has a 50% chance of passing it to her offspring. An affected male will pass this form of hypertrichosis to his daughters, but never the sons.

Is lanugo reversible?

Shortly after birth, a child will lose their lanugo and vellus hairs will replace them. These hairs are also fine and will last throughout the person’s life. Lanugo rarely reappears in adulthood.

How does Ambras syndrome change the body?

Individuals with Ambras syndrome have excessive growth of vellus (soft, fine and short) hair, especially on the face, ears, and shoulders. Facial and dental abnormalities may also be present.

How common is hypertrichosis?

Frequency. Congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa and Ambras syndrome are extremely rare. Fewer than 50 cases are documented worldwide. The incidence of congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa is unknown; however, reported incidence ranges from 1 in a billion to 1 in 10 billion.

Can minoxidil cause hypertrichosis?

Hypertrichosis is a common side effect of topical minoxidil and has been reported to occur mainly close to the areas of application.

Does hirsutism go away?

Hirsutism is very common and often improves with medical management. Prompt medical attention is important because delaying treatment makes the treatment more difficult and may have long-term health consequences.

What does hypertrichosis lanuginosa congenita look like?

Summary Summary. Hypertrichosis lanuginosa congenita is a congenital (present from birth) skin disease characterized by excessive lanugo (very fine, soft, unpigmented) hair covering the entire body, with the exception of the palms, soles, and mucous membranes.

Are there any cases of congenital hypertrichosis in the world?

Congenital forms of hypertrichosis are rare. Only 50 cases of congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa have been recorded since the Middle Ages, and fewer than 100 cases of congenital generalized hypertrichosis have been documented in scientific publications and by the media.

What does circumscribed mean in terms of hypertrichosis?

Congenital circumscribed hypertrichosis is associated with the presence of thick vellus hair on the upper extremities. Circumscribed signifies this type of hypertrichosis is restricted to certain parts of the body, in this case, the extensor surfaces of the upper extremities.

How can I find out more about hypertrichosis?

Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge. PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Hypertrichosis lanuginosa congenita. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.