In Lviv, a 15-year-old girl was operated on, in whose intestines a huge bundle of hair was found, which reached 40 centimeters and weighed a kilogram, reports the Center for Children's Medicine "Okhmatdyt", UNN.
Details
The patient is originally from Zaporizhzhia and now lives with her family in Lviv as an IDP. When she was 7 years old, she was already diagnosed with trichobezoar (a foreign body in the stomach consisting of hair that has stuck together into a dense stone - ed.) For the last two years, the girl has been complaining of abdominal pain, vomiting, problems with eating and loss of appetite. For a long time she was treated for gastritis, but there was no improvement.
The girl swallowed her hair mechanically and unconsciously and did not realize that this could lead to serious problems.
Due to the large size of the tumor, it was impossible to remove it laparoscopically (through punctures in the body), and the surgeons had to open the stomach completely. Now the girl is feeling well and is undergoing rehabilitation, including counseling with a psychologist.
Doctors warn
Rapunzel syndrome is a condition in which a child swallows hair, and later it accumulates in the stomach. It is most common in teenage girls with long hair who have a habit of chewing it. Children who are under severe stress, have obsessive-compulsive disorders, psycho-emotional disorders, or gastrointestinal problems are at risk.