Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 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
Diagnostic value of rectal suction biopsies using calretinin immunohistochemical staining in Hirschsprung's disease
Viet Quoc Tran1, Kim Thien Lam2, Dinh Quang Truong2
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
Background:
The study investigates the diagnostic value of calretinin immunohistochemical staining (CIS) on rectal suction biopsies (RSB) in Hirschsprung's disease (HD).
Methods:
A prospective study was conducted at Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from January through December 2015. Patients suspected of HD during this period underwent RSB and were followed in order to assess the accuracy of the diagnostic test with CIS compared with conventional histology (H&E).
Results:
A total of 188 children with RSB were investigated. Median age was 7.1 (range 0.2-159) months with 65.4% boys. HD was confirmed in 80 (42.6%) children. There were 1 false positive and no false-negative cases. The sensitivity and specificity were 100% (80/80) and 99.1% (107/108) for CIS and 100% and 85.2% for H&E, respectively. Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.9891 with a diagnostic accuracy of 99.5% for CIS, compared with 0.8303 and 91.5% for H&E, respectively. There were no serious complications related to the RSB.
Conclusion:
RSB with CIS is a useful diagnostic method for HD, with easy interpretation and no need for cryostat. CIS has a high diagnostic accuracy and should be considered as the primary method for the diagnosis of HD by RSB.
Level Of Evidence:
Diagnostic Studies - Level I.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Serum Laboratory Studies, Stool Test, Breath Test
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:26Imaging Studies III: Gastrointestinal Motility Studies and Virtual Colonoscopy
Radionuclide Testing
Radionuclide testing is a sophisticated medical technique for assessing gastrointestinal motility. It focuses on gastric emptying and colonic transit time. Radioactive markers track the movement of food through the digestive system, providing insights into gastrointestinal disorders.
In gastric emptying studies, a meal's liquid and...