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Symptom and Syndrome

HARVEY R. GREENBERG, MD; CHARLES A. SARNER, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1965;12(5):482-489.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Background

HAIR-PULLING was accorded the status of a classifiable symptom by a French dermatologist, near the turn of the century. Hallopeau¹⁰ coined the term "trichotillomania" to describe an "irresistible urge to pull one's hair." Patients with this peculiar affliction were "otherwise" deemed sane. Although other dermatologists continued to point out the probable psychogenic etiology of the symptom, the psychiatric literature on the subject has remained scant. Ten English references deal with trichotillomania per se; only 28 cases of hair-plucking have been recorded at any length.

While Cramer⁶ states that hair-pulling and swallowing is one of a group of clinical phenomena appearing between the age of 1.5 to 4 years, which possibly are indicative of unresolved conflicts, Spock¹⁸ observes that thumb sucking and simultaneous hair stroking are sometimes seen in normal children, representing attempts by the child to . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
NEW YORK

Formerly, resident in psychiatry, Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, New York (Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Sarner).

The Orentreich Medical Group, 909 Fifth Ave, New York.

562 First Ave, New York.

E 30th St & First Ave, New York.

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Nov 2, 1964.

Reprint requests to Box 314, Steilacoom, Washington 98388 (Dr. Greenberg).

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