Gastric trichobezoars in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)

On physical examination, a 5 x 10-cm abdominal mass was found in an eight-year-old female rhesus macaque. Radiography revealed an opaque mass in the cranial portion of the abdomen, displacing the stomach craniad. Percutaneous biopsy obtained hair with little tissue, confirming a diagnosis of trichobezoar. Initially, the hairball was medically managed by oral administration of lubricants. Medical management proved unsuccessful, the macaque began to lose weight, and two gastric trichobezoars were subsequently removed surgically. Normal appetite and activity were regained within one week. Gastric trichobezoars may lead to severe clinical illness, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis for anorexia and/or weight loss in any nonhuman primate. Trichobezoars may also be detected and treated prior to development of illness.