Lanugo Explanation: Origin, Role, and Management
In the realm of human physiology, lanugo—fine, soft, downy hair—is a curious phenomenon that typically disappears soon after birth. However, its reappearance in adults can be a cause for concern, as it is often associated with various serious health conditions.
Lanugo is a well-recognized physical sign in individuals with anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder. In such cases, the fine hair develops on the body, particularly the extremities, as a response to severe malnutrition and starvation. Along with lanugo, anorexia involves symptoms such as severe weight loss, brittle nails, dry skin, fatigue, and cardiovascular issues. Atypical anorexia nervosa, despite normal or higher body weight, can also manifest lanugo due to rapid weight loss and malnutrition, accompanied by serious complications like electrolyte imbalances, bone loss, and cardiovascular disturbances.
Another significant association between lanugo and health issues is Hypertrichosis Lanuginosa Acquisita (HLA), a paraneoplastic syndrome that can be linked to internal cancers. This condition is characterised by the sudden onset of excessive lanugo-like hair growth in adults. Common malignancies associated with HLA include lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and lymphoma. The mechanisms might involve hormonal factors produced by tumours, immune system dysregulation, or substances secreted by cancer cells that stimulate hair growth.
While less common, lanugo can also be a sign of other endocrine or metabolic disorders. There are reports in the literature of lanugo hair growth associated with cancer and celiac disease.
It is essential to note that lanugo itself is not a medical condition and does not require direct treatment. However, its recognition is clinically important to prompt further diagnostic evaluation and treatment of these potentially life-threatening diseases. The appearance of lanugo serves as an important cutaneous sign to prompt cancer screening.
In summary, the reappearance of lanugo in adults typically signals serious underlying conditions such as severe malnutrition in eating disorders or internal malignancies as a paraneoplastic sign. Its recognition is clinically important to prompt further diagnostic evaluation and treatment of these potentially life-threatening diseases. Adults who develop lanugo as a symptom of anorexia or other health conditions will lose the hairs as those conditions are successfully treated.
- Lanugo is a well-known physical sign in individuals struggling with anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder, which can also be observed in cases of atypical anorexia nervosa despite normal or higher body weight.
- Science has discovered a link between lanugo and Hypertrichosis Lanuginosa Acquisita (HLA), a paraneoplastic syndrome often associated with internal cancers such as lung, colorectal, breast, bladder, and lymphoma.
- Beyond anorexia and HLA, lanugo can be a sign of other endocrine or metabolic disorders, like cancer and celiac disease, and its recognition is crucial for prompting further health-and-wellness, mental-health, and nutrition evaluations and treatments.
