AGANGLIONOSIS OF THE COLON AND TERMINAL ILEUM

¹ Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of the East Bay, Oakland, California

1. A patient is reported in whom the diagnosis of colonic and terminal ileal aganglionosis was made at 13 years of age. This long-segment form of Hirschsprung's disease has previously been described only in infancy and has been associated with a grave prognosis, even in case of early diagnosis and surgical therapy.

2. The roentgen finding of a short colon, described in infants with aganglionosis of the entire colon, was also present in this case.

3. The possibility of Hirschsprung's disease should be considered in all patients with constipation beginning in infancy. If shortening of the entire colon is demonstrated, colonic and terminal ileal aganglionosis should be suspected. A rectal biopsy is the definitive procedure.

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