Rapunzel syndrome: 1 kg hair mass removed from girl’s stomach, small intestine at hospital in Keralam

A 1-kg mass of hair was removed from the stomach and small intestine of a nine-year-old girl in a rare surgery at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam, authorities said on Saturday.

The girl, who was diagnosed with Rapunzel syndrome, underwent the surgery at NIMS Medicity in nearby Neyyattinkara, they said.

She was admitted to the hospital with persistent abdominal pain and vomiting, according to a statement issued by the hospital. Ultrasound and CT scans revealed severe intestinal obstruction, and a subsequent endoscopy confirmed a large mass of hair accumulated in the stomach and small intestine.

The hairball was completely removed through a complex surgical procedure led by Dr Biju I G Nair, senior consultant in the Department of Paediatric Surgery at the hospital. The girl recovered well, resumed eating normally and was discharged, the doctor said.

Dr Nair said a trichobezoar, or hairball, forms when a person repeatedly pulls out and swallows hair. The swallowed hair cannot be digested and can gradually accumulate in the stomach, forming a hard mass that may cause intestinal obstruction over time, he said.

Rare condition

Rapunzel syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a trichobezoar extends from the stomach into the small intestine. It is usually seen in adolescent girls, according to medical literature. Hospital authorities said fewer than 100 cases have been reported worldwide.