Doctors remove 50 cm hairball from 10-year-old girl's stomach in Mumbai
23 Aug 2024 8:39 AM GMT
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Hyderabad: Recently, doctors removed a hairball from the stomach of a 10-year-old girl from Vasai, Mumbai. The kid had a compulsive habit of eating hair, which resulted in the Rapunzel syndrome. She had to undergo gastronomy to remove the 50 cm huge lump of hair which was trapped in her stomach and had extended into the small intestine.
The girl was consulted by doctors in the vicinity after experiencing acute abdomen pain, nausea, and vomiting for 15 to 20 days, but the cause could not be determined in the beginning. The child experienced extreme abdominal pain with a palpable firm to hard mass, severe malnourishment, severe weight loss, and constipation lasting four to five days.
By doing an ultrasound, the cause was identified to be the presence of a lump of hair. She was confirmed to have Trichophagia, compulsive eating of hair associated with trichotillomania (hair pulling). Due to the ingestion of hair, she developed Rapunzel syndrome, a rare condition in which a huge hairball, known as a trichobezoar, becomes trapped in the stomach and spreads into the small intestine. This results to have long braid-like extensions, out of hairballs.
The pediatric surgery team at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Parel, surgically removed the 50 cm-long hairball by gastronomy following psychological evaluation and counseling by psychiatrists.
Doctors say the Rupunzel syndrome is most likely to occur in young women with psychiatric disorders. Compared to men, women are far more likely to have this disorder. It affects children, teenage girls, and young women under 30 in roughly 8 out of 10 cases.
Doctors also cautioned the parents against such concerning diseases.
Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO, of Wadia Hospitals, said, “In the perplexing case our team has approached her treatment with an impressively tailored strategy. Rather than viewing this behavior as merely a psychological disorder, Wadia has set a precedent for holistic care in pediatric cases. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the emotional well-being of children but also sets new standards for effective intervention practices in pediatric healthcare."
The mother of the 10-year-old said, "I was taken aback after knowing about the rare Rapunzel syndrome in my child. In those harrowing moments, the remarkable team of doctors stepped in with their swift expertise, turning panic into hope, addressing the medical crisis, and offering emotional support to my distress. I am relieved as the hair mass is gone now. Fortunately, my child has recovered well and is ready to go to school with enthusiasm and cheerfulness."
The mother of the 10-year-old said, "I was taken aback after knowing about the rare Rapunzel syndrome in my child. In those harrowing moments, the remarkable team of doctors stepped in with their swift expertise, turning panic into hope, addressing the medical crisis, and offering emotional support to my distress. I am relieved as the hair mass is gone now. Fortunately, my child has recovered well and is ready to go to school with enthusiasm and cheerfulness."
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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