G122a

TRICHOBEZOAR - A cone-shaped ball of hair measuring some 6 x 4 cm.

Description
See also G122b
History
This young woman presented at the age of 18 with obstruction of the small intestine; she had colicky, intermittent abdominal pain followed by vomiting; these changes had been present for two days. At operation, the smaller of these two specimen was found impacted in the upper jejunum about 12 in. distal to the jejuno-duodenal flexure; the gastric bezoar was found by palpation and also removed. This girl was also found to suffer from an iron-deficiency anaemia, probably secondary to bleeding from the presence of these hair-balls.