Young girls in particular compulsively tear their hair from their heads and eat it.
The so-called Rapunzel syndrome can have serious consequences.
Frankfurt - Many think of the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm when they hear the name Rapunzel, in which the beautiful Rapunzel lets her long, magnificent hair down from the tower.
Although Rapunzel Syndrome is named after it, it doesn't have much in common with the fairy tale, except that hair plays a central role in both cases.
And these are life-threatening in the case of Rapunzel syndrome.
According to the French
Agence France-Presse
(afp), an eleven-year-old girl is brought to the Opava clinic (Czech Republic) with severe abdominal pain.
During the emergency surgery, the doctors suddenly discover a matted clump of hair in the girl's stomach.
They report a lump the size of a beer mug.
But how could so many hairs get into the stomach?
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Pulling hair out abnormally and then eating it is called Rapunzel syndrome.
Those affected often suffer from severe abdominal pain as a result
© PhotoAlto/IMAGO
Those affected by Rapunzel syndrome have these symptoms
The doctors at the clinic in Opava diagnose the rare Rapunzel syndrome in the eleven-year-old.
It is a mental illness in which those affected first compulsively pull out their hair (trichotillomania) and then eat it (trichophagia).
According to the medical journal
, this results in
so-called trichobezoars.
These are clumps of hair that can form in the stomach as a result of this psychosomatic illness and cause discomfort there.
Those affected often suffer from the following symptoms:
stomach pain
nausea
Vomiting food to red or black-brown blood that looks like coffee grounds
weight loss
Source: Medical Journal
According to the ÄrzteZeitung
, hair can
accumulate not only in the stomach or in the intestines and lead to pain and digestive problems.
Undigested food residue often gets stuck in the hairball.
This can lead to an intestinal obstruction or inflammation of the peritoneum.
In a few cases, complications occur which, according to
the medical journal
, lead to the death of those affected.
Young girls are particularly often affected by Rapunzel syndrome
Young girls often suffer from Rapunzel syndrome.
The cause of the disease is not yet clear, but according to
SpringerMedizin
it may be related to other mental illnesses such as depression or bulimia.
Those affected often suffer from a lack of self-esteem.
The number of young people suffering from depression is increasing.
The corona pandemic has also left its mark on children and young people.
The demand for psychotherapy is constantly increasing.
The disease was first discovered in 1968.
A 16-year-old girl suffered from the same ailments as the 11-year-old in the Opava Clinic.
Rapunzel syndrome often remains undetected for years because many sufferers try to hide the disease.
Treatment of Rapunzel Syndrome
Surgical intervention to remove the tufts of hair is not sufficient to treat the disease successfully.
This is followed by psychotherapy, which helps those affected to give up the compulsive behavior.
In some cases, additional medication is used.
In addition, many suffer from nutrient deficiencies as a result of vomiting food.
Food cravings can be the result of a lack of nutrients.
Editor's note
The information given in this article does not replace a visit to a doctor. Only experts can make the right diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. The intake of medication or dietary supplements should be discussed with a doctor beforehand.
However, the fairy tale has one thing in common with the report of the eleven-year-old girl: Both Rapunzel's story and that of the eleven-year-old girl have a happy ending at the end.
The girl survived the operation well, according to the Opava Clinic.
She is now being treated psychotherapeutically and psychiatrically.
(mima)
List of rubrics: © PhotoAlto/IMAGO
