Fatal Rapunzel Syndrome

A young child under 10 years old died from complications of trichophagia, leading to multiple gastrointestinal trichobezoars, which caused small bowel obstructions and perforations, resulting in peritonitis. The child had a history of iron deficiency anemia and alopecia areata. Two weeks before death, the child experienced flu-like symptoms, vomiting, abdominal pain, anorexia, and fatigue. Postmortem imaging revealed three trichobezoars in the stomach, jejunum, and ileum. This case is notable for being the first to use postmortem computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to characterize trichobezoars in a fatal case of Rapunzel syndrome.