2kg hair removed from UP woman’s stomach after 16 years of secret eating

Doctors in Bareilly successfully extracted 2 kilograms of human hair from the stomach of a 21-year-old woman suffering from a rare psychological condition known as Rapunzel Syndrome. The woman, a resident of Kargaina, had been consuming her own hair for 16 years, a condition medically referred to as trichophagia.
The hair had filled her stomach cavity and extended into parts of her intestine, preventing her from consuming solid food and causing her to vomit liquids, doctors at the district hospital said. A CT scan on September 20 revealed the accumulation of hair, prompting immediate medical intervention.
“Trichophagia is a chronic psychiatric disorder that involves the repeated ingestion of hair,” explained Dr MP Singh, the surgeon who led the operation. “It’s often linked to trichotillomania, a condition that involves compulsively pulling out one’s own hair.”
The woman had been secretly pulling out and ingesting her hair since the age of five, Dr Singh said. The large hairball, medically termed a trichobezoar, was removed during a surgical procedure on September 26.
“Rapunzel syndrome is an unusual form of trichobezoar found in patients with a history of psychiatric disorders, trichotillomania (habit of hair pulling) and trichophagia (morbid habit of chewing the hair), consequently developing gastric bezoars. The principal symptoms are vomiting and epigastric pain,” the doctor added.
He defined trichobezoar as a hairball that can form in the gastrointestinal tract. “It can be benign, but it can also cause serious health concerns and require emergency surgery.”
The patient’s family reported that she had long exhibited signs of hair-pulling, but her condition came to light after she experienced intense abdominal pain, leading to the CT scan diagnosis. She is currently undergoing counselling at the hospital to address her psychiatric disorder.
Hospital in-charge Dr Alka Sharma described the case as extraordinary, noting that it was the first such surgery in over two decades at the facility.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is considered the most effective treatment for trichotillomania, doctors said. The woman is now recovering and under psychological care.
With PTI inputs