04 January 2021

Acquired hypertrichosis lanuginosa

"A 51-year-old woman presented with rapidly progressing hair growth on her face, neck, and upper body, findings consistent with acquired hypertrichosis lanuginosa. PET-CT was performed, and a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma was made."
Lanugo is a fine hair normally present in the fetus and less commonly in the newborn (from the Latin lana = "wool").  It is rarely seen in adults; in this case it developed as a paraneoplastic phenomenon.

1 comment:

  1. All respect, but covering her eyes won't stop me recognising her should we pass in the supermarket.
    And as an aside, lanugo ! Would that reinforce the truth of evolution, in that baby monkeys are born with such, hence a link ? or does it lend colour to the theory that we as a species were transported here but with our RNA abilities modified (a'la the coleoids) so we shed our hirsuteness before birth, thereby forming a disguise for us from the skies ?

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