Gastric Trichobezoar - A Case Report of a Young Adult From a Secondary Hospital

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

Gastric trichobezoar is a pathological hair mass formed within the gastrointestinal tract, often linked to psychiatric conditions such as trichotillomania and trichophagia. A 21-year-old female reported compulsive hair pulling and eating for four years, with intermittent epigastric colicky pain, then developed dyspepsia and vomiting for one month, decreased oral intake, and marked weight loss. Examination found a mildly tender, firm upper abdominal mass. Imaging and endoscopy identified a huge hairy gastric mass causing obstruction risk, and surgical removal via laparotomy achieved an uncomplicated outcome with psychiatric referral afterward.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Case History/Examination

Differential Diagnosis, Investigations and Treatment

Outcome and FollowUp

Discussion

Clinical Case Reports CASE REPORT OPEN ACCESS Gastric Trichobezoar: A Case Report of a Young Adult From a Secondary Hospital Mohaned Altijani Abdalgadir Hamdnaalla1 | Mohammed Ali Mohammed Ali1 | Eltayeb Sabeil Abdalla Idris2 | Maisara Fathi Ahmed Salih1 | Heyam Abdelazim Abdelrahim Ali2 | Rame Taha Zeiada Taha1 | Loai Osman Elrofaie Osman1 1Internal Medicine, Dongola Specialized Hospital, Dongola, Sudan | 2General Surgery, Dongola Specialized Hospital, Dongola, Sudan Correspondence: Mohaned Altijani Abdalgadir Hamdnaalla ([altijani32@gmail.com](altijani32@gmail.com)) Received: 28 May 2025 | Revised: 6 October 2025 | Accepted: 21 December 2025 Keywords: gastroenterology/hepatology | general medicine | mental health | psychiatry | surgery 1 | Introduction A bezoar is defined as an abnormal aggregation of indigestible materials formed in the gastrointestinal tract. The word “trich”is originally a Greek word that means hair. A trichobezoar specifically denotes a hair mass formed in the gastrointestinal tract. This condition is commonly associated with trichotillomania and trichophagia [1] . Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder characterized by an involuntary and irresistible urge to pull out one's hair. Patients usually extract hair from different sites, such as the scalp, which is the most common area, the eyebrows, and any other area with hair growth. This behavior is notably difficult to control [2] . On the other hand, trichophagia refers to the behavior of eating hair. A psychiatric condition that can precipitate serious complications, including intestinal obstruction. This obstruction results from the formation of a hairball within the gastrointestinal tract, which accumulates and prevents the normal peristaltic movements. Trichophagia is commonly seen in females and is considered the primary etiological factor of trichobezoar [3] . This report describes a rare presentation of trichobezoar in a young adult patient at Dongola Specialized Hospital in Northern State, Sudan. 2 | Case History/Examination A 21-year-old female has been having compulsive pulling and eating hair for the past 4 years. Throughout this period, she reported no significant complaints except for intermittent epigastric pain, described as colicky, non-radiating, without specific relieving or aggravating factors. Recently, the patient presented complaining of dyspepsia and vomiting for 1 month. Her oral intake had decreased significantly, and her family observed notable weight loss. She has no significant past medical history, and no additional psychological symptoms were reported by her family. The patient is not currently on any medications and has no known drug allergies. There is no family history of similar conditions or other psychological problems. Physical examination revealed a mildly tender, firm upper abdominal mass that isnot attached to the skin over it and has no associated cutaneous changes. No previous surgical scars, no other masses were detected, and no dilated veins. 3 | Differential Diagnosis, Investigations and Treatment Laboratory investigations revealed a high platelet count of 639 × 103 u/L; otherwise, complete blood count, urine analysis, and other routine investigations were normal. Abdominal This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2026 The Author(s). Clinical Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Clinical Case Reports, 2026; 14:e71798 1 of 4 [https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.71798](https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.71798) Key Clinical Message Trichobezoar is the pathological formation of a hair mass within the gastrointestinal tract, usually correlated with psychiatric conditions like trichotillomania and trichophagia. Intestinal obstruction represents a significant potential complication. Trichobezoar should be i

FAQs

What is a gastric trichobezoar and what causes it?

A gastric trichobezoar is a hair mass formed in the gastrointestinal tract. It is commonly associated with trichotillomania and trichophagia, where hair pulling and hair ingestion can lead to complications.

What symptoms were reported in the case?

The patient had compulsive hair pulling and eating for four years, with intermittent colicky epigastric pain. She later developed dyspepsia and vomiting for one month, decreased oral intake, and notable weight loss.

How was the diagnosis and treatment performed?

Laboratory tests were largely normal except for elevated platelets. Ultrasound and CT suggested a bezoar, and endoscopy revealed a huge hairy foreign body occluding the gastric cavity. Laparotomy with anterior gastrotomy enabled successful surgical removal.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Callum