Clump of hair removed from nine-year-old’s gut

A young girl has had a 500g clump of her own hair removed from her stomach during emergency surgery after Rapunzel syndrome caused acute pancreatitis.

The nine-year-old, identified as Youyou from Xiamen in China, was rolling on the floor in agony at home when her concerned parents rushed her to the hospital.

Youyou, who reportedly suffers from Rapunzel syndrome, a rare intestinal condition caused by ingesting hair (trichophagia), was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis by doctor Ye Zhenshi, head of gastroenterology at the hospital.

According to local media, Doctor Zhenshi removed 500g of the patient’s own black hair from her stomach during a five-hour-long operation.

Youyou has since made a full recovery and has returned home.

“She’s had this bad habit [pulling and ingesting her hair] since she was three years old,” her parents revealed.

“We overlooked the dangers, and we regret that.”

Doctor Zhenshi recommended more playtime for Youyou.

“There’s nothing unusual about Youyou. I suggest her parents play more with her a little more. To a certain extent, this is a psychological condition.”

Sources: Magazine Features