Anorectal manometry during the neonatal period:: Its specificity in the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease

In this study the reliability of anorectal manometry (ARMM) in Hirschsprung's disease (HD) in the neonatal period is evaluated. ARMM was performed in 59 patients (age ranging between 2 to 90 days) in whom HD was suspected. Rectal biopsy was performed in 23 newborn whose rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) was not identified in the ARMM study and in 13 RAIR-positive newborn due to strong clinical signs supporting HD or persistence of symptoms during their follow-up. Other RAIR-positive patients were followed up to 4 months to 3.5 years and no problems were encountered. Among the 36 newborn with rectal biopsies, if the results were compared to ARMM studies, there were one false-positive and two false-negative results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of ARMM in the diagnosis of HD are 91.6 %, 95.6 %, 84.6 % and 91.6 % respectively. We conclude that ARMM can be used as a screening test in patients in whom HD is suspected during the neonatal period, but for definitive diagnosis it must be combined with other diagnostic tests.