Rapunzel syndrome: 1 kg hair mass removed from girl’s stomach, small intestine at hospital in Keralam
She was admitted with persistent abdominal pain and vomiting. Scans revealed severe intestinal obstruction, and a subsequent endoscopy confirmed a large mass of hair accumulated in stomach and small intestine
A nine-year-old girl in Kerala underwent a rare surgery to remove a 1 kg mass of hair from her stomach and small intestine, authorities announced on Saturday. The girl, diagnosed with Rapunzel syndrome, was admitted to NIMS Medicity in Neyyattinkara due to persistent abdominal pain and vomiting. Medical scans revealed a severe intestinal obstruction caused by the accumulation of hair in her digestive tract.
Endoscopy confirmed the presence of a large hairball, which was completely removed through a complex surgical procedure led by Dr Biju I G Nair, a senior pediatric surgeon. Rapunzel syndrome, also known as trichobezoar, occurs when a person repeatedly pulls out and swallows hair, leading to the formation of a hard mass that can cause intestinal obstruction.
Dr Nair explained that while trichobezoars usually form in the stomach, in this case, the mass extended into the small intestine. Rapunzel syndrome is an exceedingly rare condition, with fewer than 100 cases reported globally, mostly affecting adolescent girls. The girl recovered well, resumed normal eating, and was discharged from the hospital.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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