Publication at First Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Second Faculty of Medicine |
2004
Abstract
Bezoars consist of swallowed foreign materials or indigestible organic matter and form a mass in gastroin- testinal tract, usually in stomach. Trichobezoars are formed by swallowed hair, they are rare, and occur often in patients with psychiatrie disorders.
They may present with malabsorption, weight loss, abdominal pain, and signs of gastrointestinal obstruction or even perforation. Gastric trichobezoar with a tail reaching small intestine is called Rapunzel syndrom.
Authors present a case of Rapunzel syndrome in a 13-year-old girl with only a short history of mild abdominal pain in who a gastric trichobezoar weighting 700g and measuring 24 x 16 x 10 cm was removed from laparotomy.