Rapunzel syndrome : a diagnosis overlooked

We report two children who presented with a painless abdominal mass masquerading as a splenic enlargement. The paucity of symptoms resulted in delayed diagnosis. At laparotomy the trichobezoars were found to have a tail extending into the small intestine. Conclusion: This condition eludes diagnosis unless sought for particularly in the paediatric age group. Hence we present our experience of two consecutive cases of paediatric Rapunzel syndrome, along with the relevant literature and in retrospect, how an early diagnosis could have been made.