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Giant clump of hair removed from teen girl's stomach

WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT: A giant clump of hair weighing more than 500 grams has been removed from the stomach of a schoolgirl suffering from so-called Rapunzel syndrome.

Doctors say the 16-year-old Russian girl had been chewing her own hair for the past decade and it had collected in her stomach.

A photo shows the indigestible hair after it was removed in emergency surgery in the Siberian city of Tomsk.

Medics said 80 per cent of the girl’s stomach was filled with the giant hairball in a major threat to her health.

Doctors are seen here working on removing the ball of hair from the girl's stomach in Russia.
A 500 gram clump of hair has been removed from a Russian girl's stomach. Source: east2west news/Australscope

Her gastrointestinal tract was in danger of being totally blocked, doctor-in-chief Andrey Karavaev said.

Surgery was “urgent” at Emergency Medicine Clinic Number Two in Tomsk, according to reports.

The teenager is recovering after surgery and “feels much better”.

It was only the second Rapunzel syndrome case in 25 years in the region, according to reports.

Doctors said the girl – who was not named – may now require psychiatric care.

Pictured is the giant hairball that was pulled from the girl's stomach by Russian doctors.
About 80 per cent of the girl’s stomach was filled with the giant hairball. Source: east2west news/Australscope

The human stomach is unable to digest hair, so it accumulates later turning into a clump, said medics.

The rare syndrome is named after the long-haired girl Rapunzel from the Brothers Grimm fairytale.

Also known as trichophagia, it can be associated with the hair-pulling disorder trichotillomania.

In this case the girl had complained about "losing her hair".

– Australscope

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