at theOpava hospitallocated in Moravia-Silesia, doctors removed by laparoscopyfrom the stomach of an 11-year-old Czech girl, a hair ball 20 centimeters long and 8 centimeters in diameter. How did this ball of hair end up in the stomach of the young teenager?
A need to eat her hair
The young Czech suffers from a rare psychological disorder : THE Rapunzel syndromestill called trichophagia. The latter touches between 1 and 4% of the population. It consists of an irrepressible need to Pull out hair to eat them, but also all the other hairs: eyebrows, eyelashes…
What are the causes ?
THE Rapunzel syndrome touch of young people and mainly from female gender : 40% are under 10 years old, and 79% under 20 years old. It is with this repeated gesture that young people who are affected calm their anxieties often due to concerns about their appearance.
What repercussions?
THE sRapunzel syndrome can lead to many health problems: anemia, weightlossa stomach puncturea intestinal obstructiona peritonitis…
What treatment?
Rapunzel’s Syndrome or trichophagia can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. It may require taking antidepressants.