EFFICIENCY OF THE ANORECTAL MANOMETRY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HIRSCHSPRUNGS-DISEASE IN THE NEWBORN PERIOD

We have used a continuous perfusion probe for manometry in newborns. W e carried out 95 pressure recordings in 56 patients labeled as delayed passage of meconium longer than 24 h. When the relaxation reflex of t he anal canal was not present after rectal stimulation with a distensi ble balloon, the tests were repeated weekly up to the first month of l ife. Thereafter, suction biopsies were carried out to confirm the fina l Hirschsprung's disease (HD) diagnosis. The amplitudes of the fluctua ting waves in HD subjects were higher than those in non-HD patients. A lthough the procedure could provide false positive results, no possibi lities exist for false negative results as proved in our study. All th e five cases with HD were diagnosed by our manometric procedure as wel l as by histochemistry. The method is advantageous and profitable for the diagnosis of HD in case of delayed passage of meconium or distal f unctional obstruction of the anal canal.