Ganglion cells in colonic mucosa

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Histopathology
• Neurogastroenterology

Background:

• Intramucosal ganglion cells were historically considered absent in normal colonic mucosa.
• Their presence was exclusively linked to neuronal intestinal dysplasia, a chronic bowel motility disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency of intramucosal ganglion cells in normal colonic biopsies.
• To re-evaluate the diagnostic criteria for neuronal intestinal dysplasia.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 169 consecutive colonic biopsies.
• Immunohistochemical staining using neurone specific enolase (NSE) and peroxidase-anti-peroxidase (PAP) technique.
• Exclusion of patients diagnosed with neuronal intestinal dysplasia.

Main Results:

• Three intramucosal ganglion cells were identified in 169 biopsies from patients without neuronal intestinal dysplasia.
• All identified cells showed positive staining for neurone specific enolase.
• None of the patients with detected intramucosal ganglion cells had neuronal intestinal dysplasia.

Conclusions:

• Rare intramucosal ganglion cells represent a normal histological finding in the colon.
• The diagnosis of neuronal intestinal dysplasia should be based on a combination of clinical and pathological features.
• The presence of isolated intramucosal ganglion cells does not indicate neuronal intestinal dysplasia.