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Surgeons Remove Ten-Pound Hairball From Teen Girl's Stomach

Friday, November 23, 2007

Surgeons removed a massive 10-pound hairball from the stomach of an 18-year-old girl suffering from a psychological condition in which she ate her own hair, according to a report in this week's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The teen went to her doctor after complaining of stomach pains and vomiting. She had also lost 40 pounds over a five-month period, according to a UPI report.

Click here for a picture (warning: graphic)

Doctors at Rush Medical Center in Chicago carried out a scan and were amazed to find the huge mass of hair blocking her entire stomach, according to NEJM.

The hairball measured 15 inches by 7 inches by 7 inches when it was removed.

Once the hairball was removed, the patient was discharged and given psychiatric help. A year later the teenager has gained 20 pounds and has stopped eating her hair, the journal said.

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