Rare case: 12 cm long ball of hair found in the intestines of a 4-year-old girl.

Doctors at Soc Trang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital have just surgically removed a 12 cm ball of hair from the intestine of a 4-year-old girl.

On September 24th, sources from the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital of Soc Trang reported that doctors at the hospital had successfully surgically removed a 12 cm ball of hair from the intestine of a 4-year-old girl named TTPN (residing in Phu Loi Ward, Can Tho City - formerly part of Soc Trang City, Soc Trang Province).

A ball of hair found in the intestines of a 4-year-old girl was successfully removed by surgeons.

HOANG VAN

Previously, TTPN was admitted to the hospital in a state of exhaustion, poor appetite, abdominal pain, and frequent vomiting. The family had given her medication, but her condition did not improve, so they brought her to the hospital for treatment.

After clinical examination, ultrasound, and abdominal X-ray, the doctor diagnosed baby N. with intestinal obstruction due to intussusception and scheduled laparoscopic surgery to remove the obstruction. During the laparoscopic procedure, the doctor discovered a 12 cm section of intestine filled with hair and food debris, causing the obstruction.

Accordingly, the surgeon performed an abdominal incision and removed the foreign object from the intestine. Simultaneously, they sutured the intestine and drained the abdominal cavity. After the surgery, the child gradually regained consciousness, but due to their weakened condition, continued monitoring and care at the hospital were necessary.

Currently, baby TTPN is being monitored and cared for at the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Specialty Hospital in Soc Trang.

HOANG VAN

Dr. Quach Tong Lai, head of the Pediatric Surgery Department at Soc Trang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, said the child showed symptoms of Rapunzel syndrome. This syndrome causes sufferers to pull out and eat their own hair, and even the hair of those around them. This syndrome is related to psychological disorders. Swallowed hair cannot be digested and accumulates in the stomach or intestines, eventually forming large clumps that cause blockages.

Based on the case of the child with a hairball in their stomach mentioned above, doctors advise parents and caregivers to pay attention to unusual behaviors in children, such as: children frequently sucking on or swallowing non-food objects, pulling out hair and swallowing it, thinning hair, frequent unexplained abdominal pain, malnutrition, etc. If any unusual symptoms appear, parents should take their children to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hy-huu-bui-toc-dai-12-cm-trong-ruot-be-gai-4-tuoi-18525092411130796.htm