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Trichobezoar

This week we take a look at a slightly different type of bezoar. This specimen would be commonly known as a hairball, or trichobezoar. These hairballs are formed when hair is ingested by a human eating it, in what is known as trichophagia. With this particular specimen the patient had ingested hair over a period of seven years resulting in a very large hairball forming in their stomach. To remove the hairball a longitudinal incision was made in the wall of the stomach. We have placed a one pence piece next to the stomach to give you an idea about how large this trichobezoar actually was.