Surgery Removes 2 Kg Hairball from Woman's Stomach

In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a 21-year-old woman underwent surgery to remove a two-kilogram hairball from her stomach, a result of a rare condition known as trichophagia, where individuals compulsively eat their own hair. This condition is linked to trichotillomania, where sufferers pull out their hair. The woman had been ingesting hair since she was five, leading to severe abdominal pain and a trichobezoar, a hairball that filled her stomach and extended into her intestines. The condition remained undiagnosed for years despite consultations with multiple doctors until a CT scan at the district hospital revealed the hair mass. The surgical team successfully removed the hairball, and the patient is now recovering, undergoing psychological counselling to prevent recurrence. This case underscores the importance of early diagnosis and mental health care for such psychiatric disorders.