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 various cases reported and discuss the various modes of presentation of this uncommon syndrome, and also present a series of 3 cases, all females, aged 16, 18 and 21 years, and had a trichobezoar in the stomach with a tail extending into the ileum.
Naik
Saleem
S
Department of Surgery, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College, Raipur, and Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Bhopal Memorial Hospital, India. saleemnaik@yahoo.com
Gupta
Vivek
V
Naik
Swati
S
Rangole
Ashwin
A
Chaudhary
Ashok K
AK
Jain
Prashant
P
Sharma
Ashok K
AK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001630:Bezoars / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D007583:Jejunum; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013270:Stomach; D013577:Syndrome