It is probable that tufted hair folliculitis represents an advanced stage of follicular injury seen in several types of scarring alopecia. Tufted hair folliculitis affects hair follicles of the scalp. Biopsy specimens demonstrate convergence of follicular infundibula, with multiple hairs emerging from a single follicular opening, while the lower portions of the hair follicle are separate and unaffected by the scarring process. Staphylococcal organisms frequently are cultured from lesions of tufted hair folliculitis, but their role in pathogenesis is unclear. Mortality from tufted hair folliculitis has not been reported.
Morbidity is limited to localized discomfort and cosmetic disfigurement from loss of hair.
No racial predilection exists for tufted hair folliculitis. No gender predilection exists for tufted hair folliculitis. Tufted hair folliculitis has been reported only in adults. It has been reported primarily in individuals in the fourth and fifth decades of life. The hair loss frequently is accompanied by pain or swelling of the affected scalp.