A Rare Cause of Abdominal Mass: Rapunzel Syndrome

Abstract

Bezoar is a condition in which foods or fibers that are not absorbed in the gastrointestinal system usually accumulate in the stomach. It usually develops in persons with gastrointestinal motility disorders, anatomic changes or psychiatric disorders. Trichobezoar is the accumulation of hair in the gastric chamber among people with psychiatric disorders such as trichotillomania and trichophagia. Rapunzel syndrome, however, is a rare form of trichobezoar extending from the stomach to the small intestine. In this paper, we present a rare case of 15-year old girl diagnosed with Rapunzel syndrome on admission due to abdominal pain and abdominal mass. J Clin Exp Invest 2016; 7 (1): 87-90

Keywords

• Rapunzel syndrome,trichobezoar,abdomen mass

References

1. A Rare Cause of Abdominal Mass: Rapunzel Syndrome 1. Williams RS. The fascinating history of bezoars. Med J Aust 1986;145:613-614.
2. 2. DeBakey M, Ochsner A. Bezoars and concretion: Comprehensive review of literature with analysis of 303 cases and presentation of 8 additional cases. Surgery 1939;4:132-210.
3. 3. Vaughan ED Jr, Sawyers JL, Scott HW. The Rapunzel syndrome. An unusual complication of intestinal bezoar. Surgery 1968;63:339-343.
4. 4. Bouwer C, Stein DJ. Trichobezoars in trichotillomania: case report and literature overview. Psychosom Med 1998;60:658-660.
5. 5. Lamerton AJ. Trichobezoars: Two case reports - a new physical sign. Am J Gastroenterol 1984;79:354-356.
6. 6. Naik S, Gupta V, Naik S, et al. Rapunzel syndrome reviewed and redefined. Digestive Surgery 2007;24:157-161.
7. 7. Gonuguntla V, Joshi DD. Rapunzel syndrome: A comprehensive review of an unusual case of trichobezoar. Clin Med Res 2009;7:99-102.
8. 8. Sharma Y, Chhetri RK, Makaju RK, Chapagain S, Shrestha R. Epigastric mass in a young girl: trichobezoar. Imaging diagnosis. Nepal Med Coll J 2006;8:211-212.

9. 9. Morris B, Shah ZK, Shah P. An intragastric trichobezoar: computerized tomographic appearance. J Postgrad Med 2000;46:94-95.
10. 10. Esmaili MR, Abbasi HR, Baradaranfar MH. Respiratory arrest due to airway obstruction following endoscopic removal of Trichobezoar. J Pak Med Assoc 2011;61:700-701.
11. 11. Memon SA, Mandhan P, Qureshi JN, Shairani AJ. Recurrent Rapunzel syndrome - a case report. Med Sci Monit 2003;9:92-94.