Unusual Hair Whorls

Normally, because the growth of the brain occurs in a predictable fashion, there is one primary hair whorl over the vertex of the head. When hair whorls are multiple or in unusual locations, abnormal brain growth may be a causative factor. In this infant, a hair whorl can be seen behind the right ear, and the rest of the hair appears unruly, with a variety of directions of growth. Trisomy 13 was the underlying diagnosis.

photo by David Clark, MD