Article Text
Abstract
A 16-year-old girl with a background of childhood trichophagia presented with a 2-day history of epigastric pain and associated anorexia with vomiting. An epigastric mass was palpable on examination. A CT scan revealed an intragastric trichobezoar, extending into the duodenum consistent with Rapunzel syndrome with evidence of partial gastric outlet obstruction and a possible perforation. The patient underwent an urgent laparotomy and extraction of the trichobezoar. The bezoar was removed without complication and no intraoperative evidence of perforation was detected. After an uncomplicated postoperative recovery, she was discharged home with psychiatric follow-up.
- general surgery
- gastrointestinal surgery
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Footnotes
Contributors RL research, majority of writing and submission. GI research, writing of report and obtained informed consent. MD formatting, research and writing of report. HM formatting, writing and reviewing of report. All the above authors worked on the clinical teams involved in the patient’s care.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Parental/guardian consent obtained.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.