Androgenetic alopecia is a common clinical sign in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women. This feature in women is shown differently from the male baldness pattern and it is seen as a diffuse decrease of the scalp hair on the top of the head.
Our search had the objective of verify the incidence of androgenetic alopecia in 56 PCOS women using as diagnose methods the clinical history, physical examination and transversal scalp biopsy. Thirteen women of the sample showed androgenetic alopecia verified on physical examination and confirmed by the anatomopathologic exam. Nine of these women showed moderate alopecia according with the Ludwig criteria. Three of this women are diagnosed presenting mild Ludwig alopecia and only one as a Ludwig severe alopecia. The results of the search proved that the androgenetic alopecia in the PCOS women of our sample had higher incidence than the numbers of the literature and that the transversal scalp biopsy is an efficient and conclusive complementary method for diagnosing androgenetic alopecia.