Paediatric surgery: trichobezoar: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Paediatric surgery: trichobezoar

Sample item

A 14-year-old girl who eats her own hair has early satiety, vomiting and a palpable epigastric mass. CT shows a mottled gastric mass that moulds to the stomach and extends into the duodenum. What is the diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Trichobezoar (Rapunzel syndrome)

A hair ball forms a cast of the stomach and may extend into the small bowel, called Rapunzel syndrome. Treatment is surgical removal, usually laparotomy, with psychiatric support for trichotillomania and trichophagia.

Option by option

  • A. Trichobezoar (Rapunzel syndrome) (correct)

    Correct. A hair cast with a history of ingestion is a trichobezoar.

  • B. Gastric lymphoma

    Lymphoma presents with a mass and systemic features, not a cast.

  • C. Phytobezoar

    A phytobezoar is formed from vegetable fibre and occurs after gastric surgery.

  • D. Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis

    Pyloric stenosis presents in infants.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Trichobezoar (Rapunzel syndrome). A hair ball forms a cast of the stomach and may extend into the small bowel, called Rapunzel syndrome.

Why is "Gastric lymphoma" not the answer?

Lymphoma presents with a mass and systemic features, not a cast.

Why is "Phytobezoar" not the answer?

A phytobezoar is formed from vegetable fibre and occurs after gastric surgery.

Why is "Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis" not the answer?

Pyloric stenosis presents in infants.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Paediatric surgery: trichobezoar in General Surgery. Treatment is surgical removal, usually laparotomy, with psychiatric support for trichotillomania and trichophagia.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Paediatric surgery: trichobezoar?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.