Mumbai: Doctors Remove 50 Cm Hairball From Stomach of 10-Year-Old Girl Who Ate Her Own Hair Due to Trichophagia, Know All About the Rare Medical Condition

Mumbai, August 21: A 10-year-old girl from Vasai was recently rushed to Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital in Parel after suffering from severe abdominal pain and persistent vomiting for nearly 20 days. Her symptoms included significant weight loss, constipation, and acute discomfort, prompting her parents to seek specialised care after local doctors failed to alleviate her condition. Upon examination, doctors discovered a firm, hard mass in her abdomen, which an ultrasound scan later revealed to be a 50 cm long hairball lodged in her stomach and extending into her small intestine.

This hairball resulted from the girl’s compulsive habit of eating her own hair, a rare condition that had gone undiagnosed for some time. As reported by the Times of India, the girl’s condition was identified as trichophagia, a psychological disorder in which individuals compulsively eat their own hair. The condition had progressed to a rare complication known as Rapunzel syndrome, where the hairball became so large that it extended from the stomach into the small intestine. Let’s delve deeper into understanding trichophagia and Rapunzel syndrome, rare conditions that can have serious consequences if left untreated. Mumbai: Woman Dies After Being Hit by Doctor’s Car At Sion Hospital Premises, Case Registered.

What is Trichophagia and Rapunzel Syndrome?

Trichophagia is a rare psychological disorder characterised by the compulsive eating of hair. It often accompanies trichotillomania, a condition where individuals have an irresistible urge to pull out their own hair. Studies suggest that trichotillomania affects approximately one to two per cent of the global population, with trichophagia occurring in a smaller subset of these individuals, primarily affecting adolescent girls and young women. This accumulation can lead to the formation of a hairball, or trichobezoar, which, in severe cases, may develop into Rapunzel syndrome. Mumbai Doctor Assaulted: Woman Doctor on Night Duty Beaten Up by 'Drunk' Patient and His Relatives at BMC-Run Sion Hospital.

Rapunzel syndrome is an even rarer complication of trichophagia. It occurs when the ingested hair forms a large hairball that extends from the stomach into the small intestine, resembling a braid, hence the name inspired by the fairy-tale character Rapunzel. Fewer than 100 cases of Rapunzel syndrome have been reported worldwide, making it an exceptionally rare condition. The complications can include obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, severe malnutrition, weight loss, and, in extreme cases, life-threatening conditions.

Following the successful removal of the 50 cm hairball, the girl is on the path to recovery. The surgery addressed the severe abdominal pain and complications caused by Rapunzel syndrome. The treatment included not only surgical intervention but also psychological counselling to help manage the compulsive behaviour underlying the condition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2024 03:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).