Trichophagia as a cause of acute appendicitis in a patient with bipolar disorder

Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2022 Apr;28(4):554-556. doi: 10.14744/tjtes.2022.34808.

Abstract

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common abdominal surgical emergencies worldwide. Clinical diagnosis is possible in most of the cases although imaging modalities may become necessary if the diagnosis is uncertain. Appendectomy, preferably the laparoscopic ap-proach, still remains the gold standard treatment to date. The pathophysiology usually includes luminal obstruction by an appendicolith or lymphoid hyperplasia and rarely parasitic infections. In this report, we present an extremely rare case of a patient with diagnosis of bipolar disorder and a history of trichophagia resulting in trichobezoar formation within the appendiceal lümen leading to acute appendicitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Appendectomy / methods
  • Appendicitis* / diagnosis
  • Appendicitis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Appendix*
  • Bipolar Disorder* / complications
  • Humans