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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Diagnosis of Hirschsprung's Disease by Immunostaining Rectal Suction Biopsies for Calretinin, S100 Protein and Protein Gene Product 9.5
Published on: April 26, 2019
Hirschsprung's disease: Role of rectal suction biopsy - data on 216 specimens
Zillur Rahman1, Jafrul Hannan, Saiful Islam
1Department of Pathology, Chittagong Medical College, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Background:
The diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is dependent on the histological study of rectal ganglion cells, and an open rectal biopsy was the mainstay that required general anaesthesia (GA) and carried risk of postoperative rectal bleeding. Suction rectal biopsy later gained wide acceptance and became the choice as there is no requirement of GA and virtual absence of any complications.
Materials And Methods:
A retrospective review of the histological findings of 216 rectal suction biopsies studied from 2005 to 2009.
Results:
There were 143 male and 73 female children. 196 (90.7%) children were within 1 year of age. Among 216 rectal suction biopsies 181 (83.80%) were aganglionic, 27 (12.5%) were ganglionic and 8 (3.7%) were inadequate. Majority of patients were of less than 1 year of age (94.47%).
Conclusions:
The rectal suction biopsy is a bed side procedure, safe, cheap and time saving. There is high degree of accuracy, simplicity and absence of complications.
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