Hairy teeth. Doctors talked about a rare disease of the oral cavity. From time to time, some people find in their hair that does not grow where it is needed. However, doctors recently spoke about a case that few people had to deal with, according to cheltv.ru.
About 10 years ago, a 19-year-old girl turned to doctors with a rare disease, known in the medical environment as “gingival hirsutism”. They found hairs similar to eyelashes that protruded from soft tissue behind the front teeth.
A study of medical literature revealed only five such cases, starting in the 60s, and all of them were in men. Such a small amount of data does not allow us to clearly know how many people have suffered from this ailment throughout history. It is not even clear why this is happening.
But doctors quickly found a clue: hormonal tests and ultrasound revealed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a reproductive condition associated with hormonal imbalance. Hirsutism or excess hair is a frequent consequence of this imbalance, but such atypical growth is usually limited to parts of the body where follicles are already sprouting, for example on the face, trunk and limbs.
In this case, the hair did not grow in its place. They were removed surgically, and after a course of hormones prescribed to eliminate the imbalance in the body, the patient returned to life without hair on the gums. But only for a while.
Six years later she came to the clinic. After refusing hormonal treatment, gingival hirsutism returned. This time, the medical team didn’t just remove the hair, they took the opportunity to examine a small area of tissue under a microscope, and found a hair shaft piercing through unusually thickened tissues on the gums.
Hair grows out of teeth. Doctors faced a rare anomaly
Another year passed, and the patient’s condition worsened, hair appeared even more. It is difficult to say for sure, but the researchers suggest that, since the tissues of the oral mucosa are closely connected with the tissues that form our skin, while we are the embryo, one can imagine how the hair cells can be theoretically activated.
We also have sebaceous glands in our mouths, so the so-called Fordyce granules could lead to this condition. And why some types of tissues grow in their place, while others do not, one can only guess. There is no information on how the patient continues to struggle with the growth of hair on the teeth. It is also unclear whether such an anomaly affects other body functions.
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Information service cheltv.ru, photo: sciencealert.com, PressFoto, fineartamerica.com
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