BezoarDefinition: A bezoar is a ball of swallowed foreign material (usually hair or fiber) that collects in the stomach and fails to pass through the intestines.
Alternative Names: Trichobezoar; Hairball
Causes, incidence, and risk factors: Chewing on or eating hair or fuzzy materials (or indigestible materials such as plastic bags) can lead to the formation of a bezoar. The incidence is very low and the risk is greater among mentally retarded or emotionally disturbed children. Generally bezoars are seen in females (approximately 90%) aged 10 to 19.
Signs and tests: The child may have a lump in the abdomen (stomach) that can be felt by the health care provider. A barium swallow X-ray will show the mass in the stomach, sometimes a scope if used (endoscopy) to directly visualize the bezoar.
Treatment: The bezoar may need to be surgically removed (especially trichobezoars which tend to be large). Sometimes small bezoars can be removed through a scope placed through the mouth and into the stomach (similar to an EGD procedure). Then, follow the prevention measures described.
Expectations (prognosis): Full recovery is expected.
Complications: Persistent vomiting can lead to dehydration.
Calling your health care provider: Call your health care provider if you suspect your child has a bezoar.
Prevention: If your child has had a bezoar in the past, trim the child's hair short so he or she cannot put the ends in the mouth. Keep indigestible materials away from a child that has a tendency to put items in the mouth. Be sure to remove the child's access to fuzzy or fiber-filled materials.
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