Doctors In Mumbai Successfully Remove 50-cm Hairball From 10 Year Old Girl’s Stomach
Doctors In Mumbai Successfully Remove 50-cm Hairball From 10 Year Old Girl's Stomach
21 August 2024
Doctors in the city recently extracted a 50-cm hairball from the stomach of a 10-year-old schoolgirl. The girl had been compulsively eating her own hair and experienced severe abdominal pain and discomfort for nearly 20 days. Initially, her parents consulted local doctors in Vasai, but when her pain and vomiting persisted, they took her to Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital in Parel. The pediatric surgery department stated, “The child came to us with symptoms of constipation for 4-5 days, severe malnourishment, significant weight loss, and acute abdominal pain with a palpable firm to hard mass.”
Trichophagia is more prevalent among women than men, particularly noted in adolescent girls and women under 30. The child from Vasai developed a complication known as Rapunzel syndrome, where the hairball grows so large that it extends from the stomach into the small intestine, resembling long braids like the fairy-tale character Rapunzel, famous for her lengthy hair.
Before and after the surgery, the child received psychological assessment and counseling. Her mother expressed her surprise upon learning about the rare Rapunzel syndrome affecting her daughter, stating, “I was taken aback after knowing about the rare Rapunzel syndrome in my child. Fortunately, my child has recovered well and is ready to go to school with enthusiasm.”
Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO of Wadia Hospital, commented, “Rather than viewing this behaviour as merely a psychological disorder, we provided holistic care to ensure the child recovers fast.”
