TRICHOTILLOMANIA - SYMPTOM OR SYNDROME - A NEED FOR REVISION

A 40-year-old religious Hindu male presented with his fourth episode o f mania along with repetitive plucking of hair. This unusual behaviour was explained by him as a way to 'attain divinity by discarding the i mpure demoniac hair'. He had not shown this symptom in the previous ep isodes. With treatment of the mood disorder the hair plucking also dis appeared. Hair removal has an important religious-cultural meaning in eastern India. Possible implication of the symptom is discussed. A cas e is made for reporting hair plucking as a symptom rather than a syndr ome and it may at times represent a culture-specific symptom.