Removing a giant hairball weighing nearly 1kg from the stomach of a 12-year-old girl

Doctors at Quang Ngai Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital have just performed surgery to remove a giant hairball weighing nearly 1kg, covering almost the entire stomach of a 12-year-old girl.

Hairball removed from baby's stomach - Photo: Quang Ngai Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital

On March 12, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tuyen - Director of Quang Ngai Province Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital - said that doctors had just successfully performed surgery to remove a giant hairball, weighing nearly 1kg, that almost completely covered the stomach of a 12-year-old patient.

Giant hairball in baby's stomach

The baby was brought to the hospital by his family with pale skin, hard abdomen, and little appetite. Clinical examination, doctors from the Department of Surgery - Quang Ngai Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital noted that the baby's abdomen was slightly distended, and a mass was palpable in the epigastric region and left lower rib, with relatively clear boundaries and firm density.

After being admitted to the hospital, the doctor performed blood tests, abdominal X-rays, and gastrointestinal endoscopy. As a result, the patient was diagnosed with nonspecific gastrointestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastric and duodenal ulcers, and abdominal hair tumor.

Immediately after the diagnosis, the patient was scheduled for surgery to remove the foreign object in the abdomen. Doctors removed a giant hairball, filling almost the entire stomach of the patient, weighing 900 grams.

After surgery, the patient was specially monitored in the intensive care and anti-poison department, fasted and given intravenous nutrition. His health is now stable.

What is trichotillomania?

Medical literature shows that trichophagia is a rare eating disorder, often associated with Rapunzel syndrome - a condition in which ingested hair cannot be digested, accumulates in the stomach, causing serious health problems.

Trichotillomania is common in children and adolescents, especially those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, or trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder). The cause of trichotillomania may be related to psychological and neurological factors.

Some children tend to eat their hair as a self-comforting behavior, especially when they are stressed or anxious. Additionally, micronutrient deficiencies such as iron or zinc can cause children to have the need to chew on inedible objects (pica).

The consequences of trichotillomania are very dangerous, especially when hair accumulates in the stomach to form a hairball (bezoar), causing intestinal obstruction, stomach ulcers and even intestinal perforation. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss and prolonged digestive disorders.

In many cases, surgery is the only option to remove the hairball… Most importantly, parents need to detect their child's hair-eating behavior early to provide timely psychological treatment.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lay-bui-toc-khong-lo-nang-gan-1kg-trong-da-day-be-gai-12-tuoi-20250312132749667.htm