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In this Article

• What is Hirschsprung's disease?
• Why does Hirschsprung's disease cause constipation?
• What causes Hirschsprung's disease?
• If I have more children, will they have Hirschsprung's disease too?
• What are the symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease??
• How does the doctor find out if Hirschsprung's disease is the problem?
• What is the treatment for Hirschsprung's disease??
• What will my child's life be like after surgery?
• Hirschsprung's Disease At A Glance
• Hirschsprung Disease Glossary
• Hirschsprung Disease Index
• Find a local Pediatric Surgeon in your town

How does the doctor find out if Hirschsprung's disease is the problem?

To find out if a person has Hirschsprung's disease, the doctor will do one or more tests:

• barium enema (BAR-ee-um EN-uh-muh) x ray
  
  
• manometry (ma-NOM-eh-tree)
  
  
• biopsy (BY-op-see)

Barium Enema X Ray

An x ray is a black-and-white picture of the inside of the body. The picture is taken with a special machine that uses a small amount of radiation. For a barium enema x ray, the doctor puts barium through the anus into the intestine before taking the picture. Barium is a liquid that makes the intestine show up better on the x ray.

In some cases, instead of barium another liquid, called Gastrografin, may be used. Gastrografin is also sometimes used in newborns to help remove a hard first stool. Gastrografin causes water to be pulled into the intestine, and the extra water softens the stool.

In places where the nerve cells are missing, the intestine looks too narrow. If a narrow large intestine shows on the x ray, the doctor knows Hirschsprung's disease might be the problem. More tests will help the doctor know for sure.

Other tests to diagnose Hirschsprung's disease are manometry and biopsy:

Manometry

The doctor inflates a small balloon inside the rectum. Normally, the anal muscle will relax. If it doesn't, Hirschsprung's disease may be the problem. This test is most often done in older children and adults.

Biopsy

This is the most accurate test for Hirschsprung's disease. The doctor removes and looks at a tiny piece of the intestine under a microscope. If the nerve cells are missing, Hirschsprung's disease is the problem.

The doctor may do one or all of these tests. It depends on the child.