Rapunzel syndrome is an extremely rare intestinal condition in humans resulting from ingesting hair (trichophagia).
[4] This syndrome occurs when the trichobezoar (hairball) reaches past the small intestine, and sometimes even into the colon producing a long tail-like extension of hair (NCBI, 2016).
Pica comes from the Latin word for "magpie" and involves the craving of non-food items such as cloth, wool, hair, or even small metallic objects.
However, the diagnosis of the Rapunzel syndrome has to consider several aspects such as the patient's history with disorders like trichophagia and trichotillomania.
It is recommended that general anesthesia with intubation be used when removing the hairball in order to protect the throat from any damage.
Patients usually also require psychiatric evaluation and treatment due to the association with impulse control disorders, especially trichotillomania.
[citation needed] Although this condition is extremely rare, researchers have mentioned that it is absolutely critical that prevention methods are taken after surgery.
The most common reason for recurrence in patients is lack of follow-up care and incompletion of psychological treatment.