Rectal Biopsy as an Aid in the Diagnosis of Hirschsprung's Disease

Abstract

THE diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease is not always easy. The patient presenting a typical history of chronic constipation, with physical signs of a distended abdomen and an empty rectal ampulla, who has a widely dilated colon with a narrow distal segment on barium-enema examination constitutes no diagnostic problem. However, in cases in which part of the diagnostic criteria are absent or inconclusive, the problem of diagnosis is particularly difficult. Rectal biopsy is offered as an aid in the diagnosis of these cases.In the study of 169 patients with congenital megacolon several indications for rectal biopsy have occurred. One of . . .