Rapunzel Syndrome: A Case Report from Al-Dabba Hospital, Northern State, Sudan

Trichobezoar is accumulation of hair in the stomach, which may fill up the stomach and take its full shape. Sometimes it extends down to the small and large intestine; thus forming the “Rapunzel syndrome”. Occasionally, small pieces dislodge from the mother hairball and travel down to the small intestine causing intestinal obstruction. A 16-year-old girl presented with abdominal mass and features of intestinal obstruction. Medical history indicated that she tended to pull her hair (trichotillomania) and eat it (trichophagia). The condition was diagnosed on clinical grounds with the help of plain abdominal X-rays, which showed features of intestinal obstruction. The patient was operated on in AL-Dabba District Hospital, Northern State, Sudan. A huge hairball was delivered from the stomach, and parts of the hairball were found and removed from the small intestine. Postoperatively, the patient made good recovery, and was referred for the care of the Psychiatrist.