Hair tourniquet syndrome leading to nipple autoamputation in an adult female: a case report

This is a unique case of hair thread tourniquet syndrome (HTTS) affecting the nipple of an adult female, leading to spontaneous autoamputation, a phenomenon rarely documented in the literature for this anatomical site. A 52-year-old woman presented with changes in the color and shape of her left nipple over two days, with a piece of hair wrapped around it. Despite hair removal, her symptoms worsened, ultimately resulting in necrosis and autoamputation of the nipple. Unlike most reported cases, which involve early intervention preventing severe ischemic damage, this case highlights the rare progression of HTTS to complete tissue loss. The necrotic portion was easily excised under local anesthesia. Awareness of this condition and prompt intervention are crucial to prevent severe complications in adult HTTS.

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Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Surgery
Published
2025-03-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1531270
Primary Topic
Genital Health and Disease
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Hair tourniquet syndrome leading to nipple autoamputation in an adult female: a case report

Khaled Alshawwa, Alaa A. Alshurafa
Frontiers in Surgery
Genital Health and Disease
article

Hair tourniquet syndrome leading to nipple autoamputation in an adult female: a case report

Khaled Alshawwa, Alaa A. Alshurafa
article en

Abstract

This is a unique case of hair thread tourniquet syndrome (HTTS) affecting the nipple of an adult female, leading to spontaneous autoamputation, a phenomenon rarely documented in the literature for this anatomical site. A 52-year-old woman presented with changes in the color and shape of her left nipple over two days, with a piece of hair wrapped around it. Despite hair removal, her symptoms worsened, ultimately resulting in necrosis and autoamputation of the nipple. Unlike most reported cases, which involve early intervention preventing severe ischemic damage, this case highlights the rare progression of HTTS to complete tissue loss. The necrotic portion was easily excised under local anesthesia. Awareness of this condition and prompt intervention are crucial to prevent severe complications in adult HTTS.

Frontiers in SurgeryVol. 12
Al-Azhar University – Gaza (PS)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 93%
Genital Health and Disease
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