Chan EEH, Merchant K, Othman MY, Laksmi NK. Diagnostic dilemma and challenges in management: Hirschsprung's disease, anal stenosis and reduced interstitial cells of Cajal enteric mesenchymopathy.
BMJ Case Rep 2023;
16:e252484. [PMID:
37185243 PMCID:
PMC10151910 DOI:
10.1136/bcr-2022-252484]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is one of the most well-known gastrointestinal motility disorders. Diagnosis and management of other lesser-known motility disorders are often challenging and tedious. We describe a teenager who was severely constipated from birth and needed intensive care admissions for life-threatening enterocolitis. She also had concomitant anal stenosis. Several rectal biopsies were unable to yield a conclusive diagnosis. Surgical level of resection had to be identified based on the motility of the bowel as determined by transit studies using oral ingestion of a milk feed labelled with Technetium-99m colloid. After completion of all operative stages, histopathological examination of the excised specimens concluded that she had short-segment HD associated with reduced interstitial cells of Cajal in the large bowel. She is currently continent, evacuating voluntarily approximately four times a day and is relieved of all her symptoms.
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