The Rapunzel syndrome is a psychological illness that occurs in patients suffering from trichotillomania and trichylophagia, that is, an uncontrollable urge to tear and swallow the hairs themselves, which accumulate in the stomach, causing severe abdominal pain and weight loss.
Usually this syndrome arises because the hair ingested accumulates in the stomach, since they can not be digested, forming a ball of hair, scientifically called gastroduodenal tricobezoar, that extends from the stomach to the intestine, causing obstruction of the digestive system .
The Rapunzel syndrome is cured by surgery to remove hair and stomach accumulation, however, the patient must do psychotherapy to treat the uncontrollable urge to tear and ingest the hair itself, preventing the syndrome from recurring.
Causes of Rapunzel's syndrome
Rapunzel's syndrome can be triggered by two psychological disorders, trichotillomania, which is the uncontrollable urge to pull hair out, and trichophagia, which is the habit of ingesting hair stripped. Learn more about trichotillomania.
From the nutritional point of view, the desire to eat hair may be associated with iron deficiency, but generally, this syndrome is more related to psychological issues such as excessive stress or emotional problems, such as separation of parents or ending a relationship, for example.
Thus, Rapunzel syndrome is more common in children or adolescents who have no other way of alleviating daily pressure, and have an uncontrollable urge to tear and swallow their own hair.
Main symptoms
The main feeling associated with Rapunzel's syndrome is shame, usually because of the loss of hair in some areas of the head. Other symptoms of Rapunzel syndrome are:
- Abdominal pain;
- Constipation;
- Weight loss for no apparent reason;
- Loss of appetite;
- Frequent vomiting after meals.
When a person has a habit of tearing and eating hair frequently and has one of these symptoms, one should go to the emergency room for diagnostic tests, such as ultrasound, CT or X-ray, to diagnose the problem and start treatment avoid complications such as perforation of the intestine.
What to do
Treatment for Rapunzel Syndrome should be guided by a gastroenterologist and is usually done with laparoscopic surgery to remove the ball of hair that is in the stomach.
After surgery for Rapunzel syndrome it is recommended to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist to start treatment with the aim of reducing the uncontrollable will to ingest hair, avoiding the onset of a new gastroduodenal tricobezoar.
In addition, depending on the degree of psychological disorder, the doctor may be asked to use some antidepressant, which can help in the process of decreasing the habit.
