Hirschsprung’s disease

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Digestive system

Large intestine

Congenital megacolon

• Failure to pass meconium shortly after birth
• Failure to pass a first stool within 24 - 48 hours after birth
• Constipation
• Abdominal distention
• Vomiting
• Watery diarrhea (in the newborn)
• Poor weight gain
• Slow growth (child 0-5 years)
• Malabsorption

During a physical examination, the doctor may be able to feel loops of bowel in the distended abdomen. A rectal examination may detect a loss of muscle tone in the rectal muscles.

Tests used in the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease include:

• Abdominal x-ray , showing distention of colon with gas and feces
• Barium enema
• Anal manometry (a balloon is dilated in the rectum to measure the anal sphincter pressure)
• Rectal biopsy , showing absence of ganglion nerve cells

Review Date: 12/18/2006
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.