Trichotillomania Mimicking Alopecia Areata in an Adolescent Girl: A Clinicopathologic Case Report

This case report discusses a 16-year-old girl with trichotillomania, a condition characterized by compulsive hair pulling, which can mimic alopecia areata. The patient presented with frontal scalp alopecia and thinning of eyebrows and eyelashes. Dermoscopic and histopathologic examinations confirmed trichotillomania by revealing specific hair and follicle characteristics. Despite a psychiatric referral, the family declined structured psychiatric management due to sociocultural barriers. The report emphasizes the need for clinicopathologic correlation to differentiate trichotillomania from alopecia areata and highlights the psychosocial challenges in managing adolescent patients with this condition.