Pityriasis amiantacea is an eczema

Eczema

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis . In England, an estimated 5.7 million or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives.The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions...

tous condition of the scalp resulting in hair loss

Baldness

Baldness implies partial or complete lack of hair and can be understood as part of the wider topic of "hair thinning". The degree and pattern of baldness can vary greatly, but its most common cause is male and female pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, alopecia androgenetica or...

 in which thick tenaciously adherent scale infiltrates and surrounds the base of a group of scalp hairs.

Pityriasis amiantacea was first described by Alibert in 1832 . Pityriasis amiantacea affects the scalp as shiny asbestos-like (amiantaceus) thick scales attached in layers to the hair shaft . The scales surround and bind down tufts of hair . The condition can be localised or covering over the entire scalp. Temporary alopecia and scarring alopecia may occur due to repeated removal of hairs attached to the scale. It is a rare disease

Rare disease

A rare disease, also referred to as an orphan disease, is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population.Most rare diseases are genetic, and thus are present throughout the person's entire life, even if symptoms do not immediately appear...

 with a female predilection .

Pityriasis amiantacea can easily be misdiagnosed due its close resemblance to other scalp diseases such as psoriasis

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system mistakes the skin cells as a pathogen, and sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious. However, psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of...

, seborrhoeic dermatitis

Seborrhoeic dermatitis

Seborrhoeic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disorder affecting the scalp, face, and torso. Typically, seborrheic dermatitis presents with scaly, flaky, itchy, and red skin. It particularly affects the sebaceous-gland-rich areas of skin...

 or lichen planus

Lichen planus

Lichen planus is a chronic mucocutaneous disease that affects the skin, tongue, and oral mucosa. The disease presents itself in the form of papules, lesions, or rashes. Lichen planus does not involve lichens, the fungus/algae symbionts that often grow on tree trunks; the name refers to the dry and...

. However in pityriasis amiantacea the scales are attached to both the hair shaft and the scalp. Pityriasis amiantacea may be present with other inflammatory conditions such as atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, chronically relapsing, non-contagious and pruritic skin disorder...

 or seborrhoeic dermatitis and sebaceous scales and alopecia can occur.

Treatment

The bacteria staphylococci are present in the majority of cases . Treatment with systemic antibiotics and coal tar

Coal tar

Coal tar is a brown or black liquid of extremely high viscosity, which smells of naphthalene and aromatic hydrocarbons. Coal tar is among the by-products when coal iscarbonized to make coke or gasified to make coal gas...

 shampoo can completely clear the condition when Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria are found . Fungal infections

Mycosis

A mycosis is a fungal infection of animals, including humans. Mycoses are common, and a variety of environmental and physiological conditions can contribute to the development of fungal diseases...

 such as tinea capitis are known to mimic the symptoms of the condition and can be cleared with antifungal treatment.