Rapunzel syndrome: 1 kg hair mass removed from girl’s stomach, small intestine at hospital in Keralam
A nine-year-old girl in Kerala underwent a rare surgery to remove a 1-kg hairball from her stomach and small intestine. The condition, known as Rapunzel syndrome, is a rare medical occurrence caused by the ingestion of hair.
Why it matters
It provides awareness of a rare medical condition and highlights successful pediatric surgical intervention.
A 1-kg mass of hair was removed from the stomach and small intestine of a nine-year-old girl in a rare surgery at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam, authorities said on Saturday.
The girl, who was diagnosed with Rapunzel syndrome, underwent the surgery at NIMS Medicity in nearby Neyyattinkara, they said.
She was admitted to the hospital with persistent abdominal pain and vomiting, according to a statement issued by the hospital. Ultrasound and CT scans revealed severe intestinal obstruction, and a subsequent endoscopy confirmed a large mass of hair accumulated in the stomach and small intestine.
The hairball was completely removed through a complex surgical procedure led by Dr Biju I G Nair, senior consultant in the Department of Paediatric Surgery at the hospital. The girl recovered well, resumed eating normally and was discharged, the doctor said.
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