MUMBAI: Metropolis medical doctors not too long ago eliminated a 50-cm lengthy hairball from a 10-year-old schoolgirl’s abdomen.
The woman, who used to compulsively eat her personal hair, had extreme belly ache and discomfort for nearly 20 days. Her mother and father first took her to native medical doctors in Vasai, however when her ache and vomiting bouts continued, they introduced her to Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital in Parel.
“The kid got here to us with signs of constipation for 4-5 days, extreme malnourishment, extreme weight reduction, and acute ache within the stomach with a palpable agency to laborious mass,” stated medical doctors of the paediatric surgical procedure division.
An ultrasound scan confirmed the presence of the lump of hair that appeared trapped within the abdomen and prolonged into the small gut. “This confirmed our prognosis of trichophagia, a compulsive consuming of hair linked to trichotillomania (hair pulling),” stated a physician.
Trichophagia is extra widespread amongst ladies than males and has been reported extra amongst adolescent women and girls underneath 30.
The Vasai youngster had developed a complication of trichophagia referred to as Rapunzel syndrome, during which the hairball turns into so massive that it extends from the abdomen into the small gut. This causes hairballs to have lengthy extensions like a braid and is therefore named after the fairy-tale character Rapunzel, who was recognized for her lengthy hair.
The kid underwent a psychological evaluation and counselling earlier than and after the surgical procedure. The kid’s mom stated, “I used to be greatly surprised after realizing concerning the uncommon Rapunzel syndrome in my youngster. Happily, my youngster has recovered nicely and is able to go to highschool with enthusiasm.”
Wadia Hospital CEO Dr Minnie Bodhanwala stated, “Quite than viewing this behaviour as merely a psychological dysfunction, we offered holistic care to make sure the kid recovers quick.” MSID:: 112661989 413 |
