Rapunzel syndrome with a fatal outcome in a neglected child

Abstract

The “Rapunzel” syndrome (a trichobezoar with a long tail extending from the stomach to the small bowel) is an uncommon disease. It is related to severe complications but rarely associates to a fatal outcome. We report a case of a 5-year-old girl admitted at the emergency department in cardiorespiratory arrest whose autopsy disclosed an ileal perforation that is caused by a long bezoar extending from the stomach to the small bowel. The authors discuss a possible link between Rapunzel syndrome and child neglect.