A 15-year-old girl in China underwent surgery to remove a 2kg hairball from her stomach, which had formed over six years due to trichophagia - a condition where she pulled out and ate her hair. According to the South China Morning Post, Nini, from Henan province, was hospitalised in Wuhan's Children's Hospital with her mother, presenting with severe symptoms, including extreme thinness (weighing 35kg at 1.6m tall) and amenorrhea (absence of menstruation for six months).
Nini was rushed to the hospital by her mother after she experienced severe stomach pain and an inability to eat that made her collapse. Doctors diagnosed her with serious anaemia and discovered that she had been eating her hair for six years, leading to the formation of a large hairball in her stomach.
Doctors found a massive hairball, consisting of hair and food residue, occupying most of Nini's stomach, which was causing her various health issues. On July 14, she underwent surgery to remove the hairball. During the operation, doctors noted that her stomach had swollen to twice its normal size. Fortunately, Nini began recovering well, starting to eat food just five days after the surgery.
Nini was discharged from the hospital and returned for a follow-up check-up on August 5, where doctors confirmed she had recovered well. She showed her appreciation by bringing a bouquet of flowers made from sweets. Her mother reported that Nini was gaining weight, indicating positive progress in her recovery.
"If children have been eating non-food objects such as hair and glass for more than a month and cannot stop, parents should be alert to a condition called trichophagia and take them to the hospital," said a doctor.
According to Dr. Liu Fang from Jinling Hospital in Nanjing, patients with trichophagia typically require a comprehensive treatment approach that combines dietary adjustments, psychiatric care, and medication.
"We will suggest that patients eat more food rich in vitamins. We will also correct patients' wrong cognition to change their behaviour. Thirdly, we will prescribe oral liquid for them to improve their health," Dr Fang said.
