Rapunzel syndrome debuts as a gastric perforation

[The Rapunzel syndrome - a case report: trichobezoar as a cause of intestinal perforation]

OBJECTIVE: To report a rare case of a patient with gastric trichobezoar extended through the small bowel, proper to the Rapunzel syndrome. CASE REPORT: Girl at age 7 with history and exams suggestive of peritonitis whose laparotomy demonstrated trichobezoar and jejunal perforation. She also presented alopecia and psychological disorder which were not totally eliminated despite the support given...

Rapunzel syndrome.

A trichobezoar may be confined to the stomach or unusually it may extend from stomach to the small intestine or beyond when it is labelled as Rapunzel syndrome. Bezoars are concretions in the gastrointestinal tract that increase in size by continuous accumulation of non-absorbable food or fibre. Most bezoars in children are trichobezoars from swallowed hair. Repunzal syndrome is an uncommon con...

Rapunzel Syndrome: A Rare Presentation with Giant Gastric Ulcer

The Rapunzel syndrome refers to an uncommon and rare form of trichobezoar that extends past the stomach into the small intestines. The Rapunzel syndrome is usually found in young female patients with a history of psychiatric disorders, mainly trichotillomania and trichophagia. We describe a case of Rapunzel syndrome in a 15-year-old girl who presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and weight l...

Rapunzel syndrome

Trichobezoar Causing Gastric Perforation: A Case Report

Trichobezoars are impactions of swallowed hairs in the stomach and occasionally in the intestine. They occur in emotionally disturbed, depressed, or mentally retarded patients who have trichotillomania and trichophagia. Trichobezoars are usually diagnosed on CT scan or upper GI endoscopy. They can give rise to complications like gastroduodenal ulceration, haemorrhage, perforation, peritonitis, ...