Rapunzel syndrome: the unsuspected culprit.
Trichobezoar is a rare intriguing disorder in which swallowed hairs accumulates in the stomach. Being indigestible and slippery, it could not be propulsed and becomes entrapped within the stomach. Large amounts can thus accumulate over the years forming a hair ball. Rapunzel syndrome is a variant where hair accumulation reaches the small gut and beyond in some cases. Although the syndrome has been known for many years, only 24 cases have been reported in the literature and the discovery of a new case is always surprising. In this report, we present two cases discovered within a period of three months. One of them was pregnant and had small bowel intussusception and perforation, a very rare combination. We hereby add two more cases to the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first report on two cases of Rapunzel syndrome, the diagnosis of which demands a high index of suspicion.
Rabie
Mohammad Ezzedien
ME
Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, PO Box 114, Saudi Arabia. ezzedien@hotmail.com
Arishi
Abdul Rahman
AR
Khan
Ashraf
A
Ageely
Hussein
H
Seif El-Nasr
Gaffar Abbas
GA
Fagihi
Mohammad
M
D000328:Adult; D001630:Bezoars / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D007421:Intestine, Small; D007443:Intussusception / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013270:Stomach; D013577:Syndrome