title: Difficulties in making the diagnosis of Hirschsprung disease in early infancy.
abstract: This study highlights the less common presentations of Hirschsprung disease (HD) and HD-associated enterocolitis (HAE) in neonates and infants. We present three infants whose diagnosis was delayed because of atypical presenting features, especially with failure to gain weight, decreased appetite, episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting and hypoalbuminaemia. The reported incidence of HAE ranges from 0 to 16.2%. To avoid complications of life-threatening HAE, primary care physicians require a high index of suspicion of the more unusual presentations of HD in neonates and infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics A, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nofech-Mozes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rachmel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schonfeld
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashkenazi
mesh_terms: D003125:Colostomy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000601:surgery; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss