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Background: The mechanisms and inheritance of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) have yet to be elucidated. Several clinical studies suggest that a predisposition to AGA is affected by a variety of paternal and/or maternal hereditary factors. No previous study has addressed the association of AGA with family history based on the pattern of hair loss., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate paternal and/or maternal genetic influences in each type of hair loss pattern using the basic and specific (BASP) classification and to explore whether the morphology of AGA tends to be inherited in family members., Methods: Between October 2007 and September 2008, 1220 Korean participants, 998 male and 222 female, were classified according to the BASP classification at 13 university dermatologic centers. Information was collected using a standard questionnaire and BASP classification sheet., Results: Parental influences on anterior hairline shape in men were predominantly from the paternal side, whereas these effects were less notable in women. In the absence of a family history, statistical analysis showed a higher frequency for early-onset AGA than late-onset AGA (Pearson χ(2)P < .05). Basic types of hair loss had a higher degree of inheritance from the paternal side of the family, regardless of specific type., Limitations: The evaluation of hair loss pattern and family history was done by the patients., Conclusions: Familial factors affecting the morphology of AGA differ between male and female individuals, and for each type of BASP classification., (Copyright © 2010 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although non-scarring diffuse hair loss has been frequently observed in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, the pattern of hair loss with regard to its frequency in SLE has been rarely studied. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the hair loss patterns in SLE during the course of disease. We evaluated 122 SLE patients (age range, 13-71 years; mean age, 32.7 +/- 10.6; female : male ratio, 12.6:1), by conducting interviews about hair loss patterns before and after a diagnosis of SLE using a questionnaire format. History taking and physical examinations were done at the time of interview, and photographs were taken to discriminate the active LE-specific scarring hair loss from the LE-nonspecific diffuse hair loss. Frequency and correlation analysis were performed on the data from the interviews and photographs for determining their relation with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). We found that 104 patients experienced at least one hair loss event before or during the course of SLE. Eighteen patients experienced patch alopecia, including eight who experienced this malady both before and after the diagnosis; thus, the overall prevalence of patch alopecia was 14.8% (18/122). Eighty-six patients experienced hair loss after diagnosis, of which non-scarring diffuse hair loss was the most common pattern (65.1%, 56/86) followed by non-scarring patch alopecia (15.1%, 13/86). The interview survey failed to identify a statistically significant relationship between the hair loss pattern and the SLEDAI. Our results suggest that non-scarring patch alopecia is also an important pattern in SLE that should be included in the differential diagnosis of alopecia areata and confirmed by histopathological examination.

Background: Pattern hair loss (PHL) can be classified into several patterns. Currently, the Hamilton-Norwood classification system for men and the Ludwig grade system for women are commonly used to describe patterns of hair loss. However, these pre-existing classifications have some limitations., Objective: To establish an acceptable, universal, and accurate standard of both male and female pattern hair loss and to report its use in determining the incidence of PHL., Methods: We developed a new classification system (BASP classification) and then applied this system to classify the types of PHL. The BASP classification was based on observed patterns of hair loss. The basic (BA) types represent the shape of the anterior hairline, and the specific types (SP) represent the density of hair on distinct areas (frontal and vertex). There are four basic types (L, M, C, and U) and two specific types (F and V). The final type is decided by the combination of the assigned basic and specific types. Between November 2004 and June 2005, 2213 Korean subjects, comprised of 1768 males and 445 females, were classified according to the BASP classification at 13 university dermatologic centers nationwide throughout South Korea, as a multicenter study of the Korean Hair Research Society., Results: For both sexes, the majority of patients enrolled in the study were in the third and fourth decade of life (65.1% of males and 56.68% of females). In males, the older group as well as the younger group in the study were more likely to have little recession of the frontal hairline (classified as type M1 approximately 2) and diffuse thinning over the top of scalp (type F1 approximately 2). The women in the study developed typical female PHL., Limitations: The subjects of our study were mostly outpatients and some inpatients who complained about hair loss, not the general population of Korea., Conclusion: The BASP classification is a new stepwise, systematic, and universal classification system for PHL, regardless of sex.

Objectives: Both benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) share the pathogenesis of an androgen-dependent disorder and afflict a large population of elderly men with chronobiologic progress. However, it is unclear whether these diseases are related epidemiologically. We evaluated the association of frequency and severity of male pattern baldness between patients with BPH and a control group., Methods: A total of 225 patients with BPH (mean age 69.3 +/- 6.5 years) and 1 60 controls (mean age 68.5 +/- 6.4 years), all over 60 years of age, were included in this study. The estimation of baldness severity was based on Norwood's classification (grade I to VII). The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and genetic tendency for baldness were also evaluated. The difference between IPSS and grade of baldness between the two groups was analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test and the frequency of inherited baldness was compared by the chi-square test. Correlation between severity of baldness and IPSS in each group was estimated by Spearman's rank correlation method., Results: The patients with BPH had an apparently higher grade of male pattern baldness in comparison with that of controls (median value of grade IV versus III, P <0.001). The proportion of men with male pattern baldness of grade IV or higher in the BPH group was significantly larger than that of controls (53.8% versus 36.9%, P <0.01). There was a greater frequency of inherited baldness in the BPH group than in the controls (31.6% versus 12.5%, P <0.001). No significant correlation was noted between baldness severity and IPSS in either group., Conclusions: This study demonstrates a strong association of BPH with male pattern baldness.