Abstract

VILELA-DESPOSORIO, Carlos  and  CABANILLAS-TARAZONA, Elena. Giant gastric trichobezoar: a clinical-pathological case report. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2022, vol.64, n.4, pp.64-68. ISSN 0001-6002.

A trichobezoar is a compact mass of hair that is usually stored in the stomach. It is common in young women who eat their own hair (trichophagia) due to psychological disorders. We present the case of a 13-year-old teenager who had been brought in an emergency for having persistent abdominal pain for 3 days. Abdominal ultrasound was suggestive of trichobezoar, a finding that was confirmed by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. For two years before her admission, she had chewed her hair and consumed it, which she associated with her brother’s trip abroad and the separation of her parents. On the ninth day, an exploratory laparotomy with gastrostomy was performed, extracting gastric trichobezoar, which in the anatomopathological study weighed 1033.8 g. and measured 31.5 x 18 cm. in its larger dimensions. These cases are extremely rare. In our case, the trichobezoar reached the largest size of those reported so far. Contradictorily, the symptoms were minimal.

Keywords : Trichobezoars; Trichotillomania; Bezoars; gastric.

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