Intestinal obstruction due to a trichobezoar or Rapunzel Syndrome. Report of one case

Rapunzel syndrome or gastrointestinal trichobezoar is caused by hair ingestion. The diagnosis may be suspected in young females with important weight loss, who deny hair eating. We report a 16 year-old female consulting in the emergency room for abdominal pain. She was subjected to an exploratory laparotomy and a big mass was palpated in the stomach. A gastrostomy and enterostomy were performed and a 17 x 6 x 5 cm trichobezoar was extracted. The patient had an uneventful postoperative outcome and was derived to Psychiatry (Rev Med Chile 2008; 136: 1027-30).