A teenage girl has reportedly had more than 100 tapioca balls trapped in her body after drinking too much of a popular Asian beverage known as 'bubble tea'.
The 14-year-old was taken to the hospital by her parents in easternChinaafter suffering from constipation for five days, reported a local newspaper.
Doctors said the patient, known by a pseudonym Xiao Shen, had failed to digest the tapioca balls which came with the tea.
Xiao Shen is said to be a big fan of 'bubble tea', a beverage popular in East Asia which normally contains tea, milk and dozens of tapioca balls.
These small balls, also known as 'pearls' or 'boba', are made of tapioca starch which is extracted from the dried roots of the cassava plant native to South America. They usually taste bland and have a chewy texture.
A cup of bubble tea typically sells for 10 yuan (£1) in mainland China.
According to localShaoxing News, Xiao Shen's parents took her to the People's Hospital in the city of Zhuji on May 28 after she complained about stomachache.
Her parents said Xiao Shen had been having constipation and bad appetite.
Dr. Zhang Louwei, who received the patient, said the girl's abdomen was 'bulging'.
After an X-ray checkup, Dr Zhang was shocked to see more than 100 dark balls stuck in Xiao Shen's body. They were said to fill the teenager's stomach, intestines and rectum.
After further questioning, Xiao Shen admitted she had drank bubble tea five days earlier.