Half-kilo hairball found in 5-year-old boy's stomach

A source from Ninh Thuan General Hospital (Khanh Hoa) this afternoon (July 16) confirmed that doctors and nurses from the General Surgery Department of this medical facility had just removed a hairball weighing about 0.5 kg from the abdomen of a 5-year-old male patient.

Previously, Ninh Thuan General Hospital received a 5-year-old patient, residing in Lien Huong commune, Lam Dong province, who was brought to the hospital by relatives in a state of frequent stomachache and vomiting; meanwhile, the patient was weak, had a poor appetite, often had symptoms of vomiting after eating, and had a bloated stomach. According to relatives, the patient often had the habit of eating hair.

Hairball removed from patient's stomach. Photo: BVGDKNT.

Through a health check, doctors from the General Surgery Department of Ninh Thuan General Hospital discovered a hard, mobile mass with clear boundaries in the patient's epigastric region. Ultrasound results showed that the patient's stomach had dilated to the navel, with a hard mass inside the stomach containing a lot of food.

Checking the health of a child patient after surgery. Photo: BVGDNT.

After the consultation, the doctors performed stomach surgery on the child and removed a hairball weighing about 0.5 kg, covering the stomach and part of the duodenum. From the results of the surgery, the child's health has gradually stabilized and he is able to eat and drink.

Doctor Ung Van Hieu, Deputy Head of the Department, in charge of the Department of General Surgery at Ninh Thuan General Hospital, said that Trichophagia is a rare disorder, often related to Rapunzel syndrome - a condition in which ingested hair cannot be digested, accumulates in the stomach, causing serious health problems.

Trichophagia often occurs in children and adolescents, and the cause may be related to psychological and neurological factors. The consequences of this condition are very dangerous, the most serious being when hair accumulates, forming a ball inside the stomach, which can cause complications such as intestinal obstruction, ulcers, and stomach perforation. Common symptoms in patients with trichophagia are abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss, and prolonged digestive disorders.

“Parents and relatives need to regularly monitor their children. If they detect any unusual signs such as hair-eating addiction, they should promptly take the child to a medical facility for a health check, diagnosis and timely treatment,” added Dr. Ung Van Hieu.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Xa-hoi/bui-toc-nang-nua-ky-nam-trong-da-day-be-trai-5-tuoi-i774981/