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.
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. Rapunzel syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a trichobezoar extends from the stomach into the small intestine.
Hospital authorities said fewer than 100 cases have been reported worldwide.
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. The girl recovered well, resumed eating normally and was discharged, the doctor said. It is usually seen in adolescent girls , according to medical literature.
