| Abstract: | Hair follicles from scalp biopsies (temporal and parietal regions) were isolated by microdissection. This technique allows preservation of the whole structure of the follicle in its fibrous sheath, or isolation of certain elements: bulb and dermal papilla. Each follicle is examined by transmission optical microscopy and its image is digitized into sixty-four grey levels by an image analyser. Follicle images are memorized on a hard disc, then recalled individually for measurement. The image analysis consists of thresholding, interactive selecting, then measurement of the following elements: diameter of the hair follicle, volume of the bulb, height of the keratogenous zone, mean diameter of the hair and size of the dermal papilla. These parameters were related to a clinical classification (terminal, dystrophic, vellus). This morphometric study constitutes an objective approach which is different from, but complementary, to the classic trichogram (telogen/anagen). |
