Bezoar associated with hair ingestion is called what?

• A. Trichobezoar
• B. Phytobezoar
• C. Lactobezoar
• D. Kaolibezoar

Answer: (A)

Bezoars are masses that form in the gastrointestinal tract from materials that the body can’t digest. When the material is hair, the mass is called a trichobezoar. Hair isn’t broken down by stomach acids and tends to tangle with mucus and food remnants, gradually accumulating into a dense, hard mass in the stomach. This often occurs in individuals who compulsively ingest hair (trichophagia), usually in the setting of trichotillomania. It can cause symptoms like fullness, abdominal pain, vomiting, or weight loss, and in some cases the hair mass extends into the small intestine (Rapunzel syndrome).

Other types of bezoars include phytobezoars from indigestible plant material, lactobezoars from milk, and kaolibezoars from clay. The key idea is that hair ingestion specifically produces a trichobezoar.