Doctors remove two-kg hair from 15 year old girl's stomach

KOZHIKODE: Doctors at the Kozhikode Medical College removed two kilos of hair from the stomach of a 15-year-old girl who sought treatment with a tumor in her stomach. The 10th class girl from Palakkad was admitted to the medical college on February 8. A CT scan showed a tumor and a subsequent endoscopy revealed a giant hairy mass in the stomach.

The hair bundle was removed through a two-hour surgery led by Prof. Dr. Y. Shahjahan of the Medical College Surgery Department. The girl used to regularly eat her own hair.

Hair eating condition

Hair eating condition is known by the scientific name 'Trichobezoar' and is rarely seen in anxious and over stressed children. The hair can combine with the food in the stomach and form a giant tumor. Symptoms include loss of interest in food, anemia, stunted growth, and chronic fatigue.