NEUROPATHY AND VASCULOPATHY IN COLONIC STRICTURES FROM CHILDREN WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

Colonic strictures are rare in patients who have cystic fibrosis, but recently have developed in those who have been treated with delayed-re lease high-dose pancreatic enzyme supplements. Colonic strictures from eight such pediatric patients showed neural abnormalities consisting of ganglion cell hyperplasia and ectopia, and intermyenteric plexus hy perplasia. Cholinergic and adrenergic stains of mucosal nerve fibers w ere more prominent in histological sections of the cystic fibrosis str ictures than in sections from colons of children without cystic fibros is. The mean grade of staining with acetylcholinesterase in the lamina propria of the strictured cystic fibrosis colons was 2.38 +/- 1.25, c ompared with .93 +/- .93 (P < .055) in bowels from children without cy stic fibrosis. The mean grade for tyrosine hydroxylase staining in the lamina propria was 2 +/- .97 in the strictures and was .79 +/- .81 (P < .05) in the bowels of children who did not have cystic fibrosis. Va soactive intestinal peptide staining in bowels from children with cyst ic fibrosis with and without stricture did not differ significantly fr om that of children without cystic fibrosis. Vasculopathy consisting o f fibrointimal hyperplasia in submucosal veins and mesenteric arteries was found only in colonic strictures owing to cystic fibrosis. Coloni c strictures in patients with cystic fibrosis who received high-dose p ancreatic enzyme supplements contain ganglion cell abnormalities, and mucosal cholinergic and adrenergic activity may be increased in these strictures. The stricture vasculopathy may be drug-related and/or rela ted to increased catecholamine activity. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Sa unders Company