What the study found
The report describes a case in which a young woman with pulmonary tuberculosis developed sudden, severe hair loss after starting treatment. Isoniazid, a tuberculosis drug, was suspected and stopped, and her hair began to regrow within a month.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say clinicians should be alert for alopecia, meaning hair loss, in young female patients receiving antituberculosis treatment because it may lead to stopping treatment for cosmetic reasons. The study suggests that alopecia may also point to underlying drug resistance, and the authors say more studies are needed to support that link.
What the researchers tested
The article presents a single patient case. A 22-year-old woman with pulmonary tuberculosis started antituberculosis treatment, then developed hair loss after 1 month; drug resistance testing was performed after isoniazid was stopped.
What worked and what didn't
Stopping isoniazid was followed by hair regrowth within 1 month. Drug resistance testing showed isoniazid monoresistance, and treatment was then continued with rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and moxifloxacin for 2 months, followed by rifampicin and ethambutol for 7 months.
What to keep in mind
This is a single case report, so the available summary does not show whether the same pattern would occur in other patients. The abstract also states that further studies are needed to establish biological evidence for the possible association between alopecia and drug resistance.
Key points
- A 22-year-old woman with pulmonary tuberculosis developed sudden, severe hair loss after 1 month of treatment.
- Isoniazid was suspected as the cause and discontinued.
- Hair regrowth was observed within 1 month after stopping isoniazid.
- Drug resistance testing revealed isoniazid monoresistance.
- The authors say alopecia may lead to treatment interruption and may signal underlying drug resistance.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Isoniazid caused hair loss in a patient with monoresistant tuberculosis
- Authors:
- Emine Afşin, Şeref Özkara, Fatma Ceren Gökdemir
- Institutions:
- Ankara Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Education Training And Research
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-31
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.