Hairball

	WikiDoc Resources for Hairball
Articles
Most recent articles on Hairball Most cited articles on Hairball Review articles on Hairball Articles on Hairball in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Hairball Images of Hairball Photos of Hairball Podcasts & MP3s on Hairball Videos on Hairball
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Hairball Bandolier on Hairball TRIP on Hairball
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Hairball at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Hairball Clinical Trials on Hairball at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Hairball NICE Guidance on Hairball NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Hairball CDC on Hairball
Books
Books on Hairball
News
Hairball in the news Be alerted to news on Hairball News trends on Hairball
Commentary
Blogs on Hairball
Definitions
Definitions of Hairball
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Hairball Discussion groups on Hairball Patient Handouts on Hairball Directions to Hospitals Treating Hairball Risk calculators and risk factors for Hairball
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Hairball Causes & Risk Factors for Hairball Diagnostic studies for Hairball Treatment of Hairball
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Hairball
International
Hairball en Espanol Hairball en Francais
Business
Hairball in the Marketplace Patents on Hairball
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Hairball

File:Common house cat coughing hairball.ogv

Example of the sounds and motions a common housecat makes when they are coughing up a hairball.

File:Long-haired-cat-hairball.jpg

A 10 cm (3.9 in) cat hairball.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kiran Singh, M.D. [2]

Overview

File:Common house cat coughing hairball.ogv

Example of the sounds and motions a common housecat makes when they are coughing up a hairball.

File:Long-haired-cat-hairball.jpg

A 10 cm (3.9 in) cat hairball.

A hairball is a small collection of hair or fur formed in the stomach of animals that is occasionally vomited up when it becomes too big. Hairballs are primarily a tight elongated cylinder of packed fur, but may include bits of other elements such as swallowed food. Hairballs are sometimes mistaken for other conditions of the stomach such as lymphosarcoma, tuberculosis, and tumour of the spleen.^[1] Cats are especially prone to hairball formation since they groom themselves by licking their fur, and thereby ingest it. Rabbits are also prone to hairballs because they groom themselves in the same fashion as cats, but hairballs are especially dangerous for rabbits because they cannot regurgitate them. Because the digestive system of a rabbit is very fragile, rabbit hairballs must be treated immediately or they may cause the animal to stop feeding and ultimately die due to dehydration. Cattle are also known to accumulate hairballs, but as they do not vomit, these are found usually after death and can be quite large.

File:MaryHairBall.jpg

A 5 cm (2 in) cat hairball.

Clinical significance

A trichobezoar is a bezoar (a mass found trapped in the gastrointestinal system) formed from the ingestion of hair. Trichobezoars are often associated with trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), are rare,^[2] and can be fatal if undetected.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] Surgical intervention is often required.^[3]^[7]

Diagnosis

Physical Examination

Hair

Trichotillomania-trichobezoars. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[8]
Trichotillomania-trichobezoars. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[8]
Trichotillomania-trichobezoars. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[8]
Trichotillomania-trichobezoars. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[8]
Trichotillomania-trichobezoars. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[8]
Trichotillomania-trichobezoars. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[8]
Trichotillomania-trichobezoars. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[8]

Society and culture

Although uncommon in humans, some hairballs have been reported. These hairballs occur when hair strands collect in the stomach and are unable to be ejected as a result of the friction on the surface of the gastric mucosa.^[9] Hairballs are often seen in young girls as a result of trichophagia, trichotillomania and pica.^[10] In 2003, a 3-year old girl in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada had a grapefruit-sized hairball surgically removed from her stomach; in 2004, an 18-year old woman from McAdam, New Brunswick, Canada, had a 2.3 kg hairball surgically removed from her lower intestine; and in 2014, a 9 pound hairball was removed from the stomach of an 18-year old in Kyrgyzstan.^[11] Hairballs can be quite hazardous in humans,^[12] since hair cannot be digested or passed by the human gastrointestinal system, and (assuming it is identified) even vomiting may be ineffective at removing the hair mass. This can result in the general impairment of the digestive system.

References

↑ Rolleston, JD (1924). "Specimen of Hair-ball of the Stomach" (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. 17 (Section for the Study of Disease in Children.): 5. PMC 2201872.
↑ Sah DE, Koo J, Price VH (2008). "Trichotillomania" (PDF). Dermatol Ther. 21 (1): 13–21. doi:10.1111/j.1529-8019.2008.00165.x. PMID 18318881.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Gorter RR, Kneepkens CM, Mattens EC, Aronson DC, Heij HA (May 2010). "Management of trichobezoar: case report and literature review". Pediatr. Surg. Int. 26 (5): 457–63. doi:10.1007/s00383-010-2570-0. PMC 2856853. PMID 20213124.
↑ Ventura DE, Herbella FA, Schettini ST, Delmonte C (2005). "Rapunzel syndrome with a fatal outcome in a neglected child". J. Pediatr. Surg. 40 (10): 1665–7. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2005.06.038. PMID 16227005.
↑ Matejů E, Duchanová S, Kovac P, Moravanský N, Spitz DJ (September 2009). "Fatal case of Rapunzel syndrome in neglected child". Forensic Sci. Int. 190 (1–3): e5–7. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.05.008. PMID 19505779.
↑ Pul N, Pul M (1996). "The Rapunzel syndrome (trichobezoar) causing gastric perforation in a child: a case report". Eur. J. Pediatr. 155 (1): 18–9. doi:10.1007/bf02115620. PMID 8750804.
↑ Dehghan A, Moaddab AH, Mozafarpour S. An unusual localization of trichobezoar in the appendix. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2011 Jun;22(3):357-8.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 ^8.4 ^8.5 ^8.6 "Dermatology Atlas".
↑ Santiago, Sanchez CA (1996). "Trichobezoar in a 11-year old girl: a case report". Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico. 88 (1–3): 8. PMID 8885440.
↑ Hairballs: Myths and Realities behind some Medical Curiosities, National Museum of Health and Medicine, Washington, D.C.
↑ Dodds, Laurence. "Huge 9lb hairball removed from teenage girl's stomach." The Telegraph. September 30, 2014.
↑ Girl died from eating her hair, BBC News, 1999-08-20

[1] Rolleston, JD (1924). "Specimen of Hair-ball of the Stomach" (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. 17 (Section for the Study of Disease in Children.): 5. PMC 2201872.

[Sah-2] Sah DE, Koo J, Price VH (2008). "Trichotillomania" (PDF). Dermatol Ther. 21 (1): 13–21. doi:10.1111/j.1529-8019.2008.00165.x. PMID 18318881.

[Gorter-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Gorter RR, Kneepkens CM, Mattens EC, Aronson DC, Heij HA (May 2010). "Management of trichobezoar: case report and literature review". Pediatr. Surg. Int. 26 (5): 457–63. doi:10.1007/s00383-010-2570-0. PMC 2856853. PMID 20213124.

[Ventura-4] Ventura DE, Herbella FA, Schettini ST, Delmonte C (2005). "Rapunzel syndrome with a fatal outcome in a neglected child". J. Pediatr. Surg. 40 (10): 1665–7. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2005.06.038. PMID 16227005.

[Mateju-5] Matejů E, Duchanová S, Kovac P, Moravanský N, Spitz DJ (September 2009). "Fatal case of Rapunzel syndrome in neglected child". Forensic Sci. Int. 190 (1–3): e5–7. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.05.008. PMID 19505779.

[Pul-6] Pul N, Pul M (1996). "The Rapunzel syndrome (trichobezoar) causing gastric perforation in a child: a case report". Eur. J. Pediatr. 155 (1): 18–9. doi:10.1007/bf02115620. PMID 8750804.

[7] Dehghan A, Moaddab AH, Mozafarpour S. An unusual localization of trichobezoar in the appendix. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2011 Jun;22(3):357-8.

[Dermatology_Atlas-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 ^8.4 ^8.5 ^8.6 "Dermatology Atlas".

[9] Santiago, Sanchez CA (1996). "Trichobezoar in a 11-year old girl: a case report". Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico. 88 (1–3): 8. PMID 8885440.

[10] Hairballs: Myths and Realities behind some Medical Curiosities, National Museum of Health and Medicine, Washington, D.C.

[11] Dodds, Laurence. "Huge 9lb hairball removed from teenage girl's stomach." The Telegraph. September 30, 2014.

[12] Girl died from eating her hair, BBC News, 1999-08-20

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]