Acute Alopecia Due to Metformin Treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

A 36-year-old woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) experienced acute hair loss after starting metformin treatment for anovulatory infertility. The hair loss began after increasing the metformin dose to 1 g twice daily and reversed within 6 months of stopping the medication. The authors hypothesized that the hair loss was due to metformin-induced reduction in Vitamin B12 levels, which is known to cause alopecia. This case highlighted acute alopecia as a rare but distressing side effect of metformin in PCOS treatment.