Doctors remove 1 kg of hair from 9-year-old Kerala girl’s stomach in rare Rapunzel syndrome case

Thiruvananthapuram: Doctors at NIMS Medicity have surgically removed a one-kilogram mass of hair from the stomach and small intestine of a nine-year-old girl who was admitted with persistent stomach pain and vomiting.

A team led by Dr Biju I.G. Nair, senior consultant in the Department of Paediatric Surgery at the hospital, performed the complex surgery.

The child was admitted to the hospital after experiencing continuous abdominal pain and vomiting. Ultrasound and CT scans revealed a severe intestinal blockage. An endoscopy conducted before the surgery confirmed the presence of a large mass of hair in the stomach and small intestine.

Rapunzel syndrome

The condition, known as Rapunzel syndrome, is a rare form of trichobezoar in which a mass of swallowed hair accumulates in the stomach and can extend into the small intestine. According to the hospital, fewer than 100 cases have been reported.

Dr Biju I.G. Nair said trichobezoars can develop when children repeatedly pull out and swallow their own hair, sometimes as a response to stress or insecurity. As hair cannot be digested, it can remain in the stomach for months, gradually forming a solid mass that may cause intestinal obstruction.

The doctors completely removed the hair mass from the girl's stomach and small intestine through surgery.

The child is now in good health, has resumed eating normally and has recovered fully, the hospital said. She has since been discharged and returned home.