Rapunzel and pregnancy.
Rapunzel, the girl with long golden tresses in the fairy tale, inspired Vaughan et al to describe, in 1968, cases of trichobezoar with a long tail causing bowel obstruction as "Rapunzel syndrome." A 22-year-old Egyptian woman had been suffering from episodes of epigastric pain and vomiting throughout her pregnancy and puerperium. After diagnosing pancreatitis, we discovered a trichobezoar in her stomach. In an emergent gastrotomy, she was found to have a gastric trichobezoar with a long tail extending down to her duodenum. This is one of the very few cases of Rapunzel syndrome to be complicated by pancreatitis; to our knowledge, it is the first to be reported postpartum.
Salem
Mohamed
M
Internal Medicine Department, Cairo University, Egypt.
Fouda
Ragai
R
Fouda
Usama
U
Maadawy
Mohamed E L
ME
Ammar
Hussam
H
D000328:Adult; D001630:Bezoars / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D004386:Duodenum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013270:Stomach; D014256:Trichotillomania / Q000150:complications