Author(s)

Harjit S. Chaal, Ateeq Muneera, Mohana Prakash

Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Pahang, Malaysia.

Trichobezoars are accumulations of hair casts in the stomach which is associated with trichophagia. The continuous ingestion causes mass of undigested material within the gastrointestinal, accumulating between the mucosal folds of stomach. Trichotillomania, is a mental disorder, described when someone cannot resist the urge to pull their hair from the scalp, eyebrows or eyelashes seen generally by teenagers or adolescents. A person with trichotillomania may experience repetitive pulling of hair, often without awareness, associated with anxiety and a sense of relief after pulling out hair. Consumed hair strands are beyond the pylorus into the small bowel identified as Rapunzel syndrome. Two cases of trichobezoars were encountered in our centre. They presented with nonspecific abdominal pain and abdominal mass. After investigations, with clinical correlation they were subjected to surgery, an open gastrotomy and complete removal of the trichobezoars. After surgery, the aim is to prevent recurrence by tackling the underlying cause of trichophagia which is commonly associated with trichotillomania. This case report series discusses about the management of trichobezoars.

Trichobezoar, Trichophagia, Trichotillomania, Rapunzel Syndrome

Chaal, H. , Muneera, A. and Prakash, M. (2022) Gastric Trichobezoar, Case Presentations. Case Reports in Clinical Medicine, 11, 227-233. doi: 10.4236/crcm.2022.116034.