Acquired Circumscribed Hypertrichosis in the 'Costaleros' Who Bear the 'Pasos' During Holy Week in Seville, Spain

Repeated irritation, friction, or inflammatory changes continuing over the long term may produce the growth of coarse and long hair in some cutaneous areas. Csillag's¹ classic description in 1921 describes a localized hypertrichosis on the left shoulder in men who bore heavy sacks in the ports. There are later publications describing localized hypertrichosis in areas inflamed by erysipelas,² repeated pinching in the mentally weak,³ following excoriated insect bites⁴ or appearing near inflamed joints,⁵ after a prolonged period of occlusion by plaster of paris,⁶ and others. The acquired circumscribed hypertrichosis on the costal area of the lower aspect of the neck with which the costaleros bear the pasos during Holy Week in Seville, Spain, is described.

Report of Cases.  In July 1992, a 27-year-old man with a well-developed athletic constitution presented with moderate acne on his body; a high sebum excretion rate; and an