Rapunzel Syndrome Reviewed and Redefined

Rapunzel syndrome reviewed and redefined.

Rapunzel syndrome is a rare presentation of a trichobezoar, with 24 cases having been reported in literature so far. This syndrome has been reported in 23 female and 1 male patient with a mean age of 10.8 years. The patients commonly present with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and signs of obstruction. The distal end of the bezoar may be in the jejunum, ileum or the colon. We evaluate the var...

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

Hair apparent: Rapunzel syndrome.

Emily (all names and identifiers have been changed to protect confidentiality) was a 7-year-old girl seen by her pediatrician for a routine annual examination. Although Emily had voiced no complaints, her mother had noted that she had appeared paler than usual. Upon physical examination, her pediatrician noted a nontender palpable mass in the child’s stomach, leading him to order an abdominal u...

The diagnosis and treatment of Rapunzel syndrome

Trichobezoars are hairballs or hair-like fibers formed by chewing and swallowing hair or any other indigestible materials. Trichobezoars usually form in the gastric body and are thus prepyloric. However, trichobezoars may rarely pass through the pylorus into the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and even the colon, in a condition referred to as Rapunzel syndrome. Here, we present a case of a 13-year-ol...