Histochemical acetylcholinesterase activity in the mucosa of the resected bowel in Hirschsprung's disease. An analysis of 30 cases.
Resected bowels from 30 patients with Hirschsprung's disease were consecutively investigated as to the length of the aganglionic segment and the extent of the increased mucosal acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. The latter was not always in accord with the length of aganglionic segment. The increased AChE activity not only did not reach the normal ganglionic segment proximally, but, in almost all cases also extended for less than 5 cm from the distal end of the resected bowels. In two cases with the ultra-short type of segment and in four with the short type of segment increased mucosal AChE activity extended for a short length only into the normal bowel segment. The more advanced the patient's age at the time of operation, and the more intense the AChE activity in rectal suction biopsy, the more proximal was the extent of increased AChE activity. Proximal extension of the mucosal AChE activity showed no clear relationship to the creation of a colostomy or to the occurrence of preoperative enterocolitis.
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003106:Colon / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D003125:Colostomy; D005260:Female; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase