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In the United States, a 16-year-old girl presented to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. Doctors discovered that the girl suffered from Rapunzel syndrome, a rare condition where a person compulsively ingests hair, forming an impressive mass in their digestive system.
Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston were confronted with a young girl suffering from a stomach ache that hid the unthinkable.
A shocking discovery after weeks of pain
It all started with unexplained stomach pains which had been getting worse for 4 weeks with episodes of vomiting and very intense pain. Sent home with pain medication, the young woman returned a few weeks later with pain preventing her from sleeping. She was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Doctors quickly suspected a gastric obstruction and after a series of tests, they identified a huge trichobezoar, a ball of hair, that occupied a large part of his stomach and part of his small intestine. The operation made it possible to remove this mass weighing several hundred grams.
Rapunzel syndrome, named after the long-haired fairy tale princess, is an extreme manifestation of trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) combined with trichophagia (the habit of eating hair). These hairs, impossible to digest, gradually accumulate, causing pain, nausea and intestinal obstruction.
A delicate surgical procedure
Surgeons were able to extract the mass without performing open surgery. According to doctors, the size of this ball of hair was “unprecedented” in their experience. The operation was a success, and the patient is gradually recovering. This type of procedure is not common but can be lifesaving because untreated trichobezoar can cause serious complications, such as stomach perforation or infections.
This case highlights the importance of treating underlying compulsive disorders. Doctors advised the young girl to undergo psychiatric follow-up to manage the root causes of her trichophagia. These disorders are often linked to emotional or psychological factors, such as anxiety or traumatic experiences.
What is trichotillomania?
It is a behavioral disorder in response to poor management of emotions. Concretely, trichotillomania consists of pulling out one’s hair but also body hair, eyelashes or eyebrows with the aim of relieving inner tension.
The trichotillomaniac can perform this gesture continuously or in crises and this can last more than an hour.
Most often, it takes place alone, in the evening, after a stressful day or during a moment of boredom or high concentration (in front of a screen for example).
In children, the treatment is essentially psychological: the psychologist will look for family tensions and help the family to resolve them. Tactile and interactive games with the child are also very useful.
When the disorder appears in adolescence, it is preferable to undertake behavioral and cognitive therapy or ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to succeed in calming down by implementing methods such as there mindfulnessthere meditation…. It is also possible to implement alternative movements to reverse habits: for example, touching your earring, your chin, your necklace, your scarf.