EXPERIENCE WITH RECTAL SUCTION BIOPSY IN DIAGNOSIS OF HIRSCHSPRUNGS DISEASE

Mucosal suction biopsies have been employed successfully in 85 patients. Excluding 14 patients in whom the biopsy material was unsatisfactory due to causes subsequently corrected in the second half of the series, all of the remaining 71 patients were diagnosed correctly in reference to Hirschsprung's disease by this method. Provided the biopsy specimen has been taken above the hypoganglionic zone, 3 cm. cranial of the pectinate line, absence of ganglion cells from a serially sectioned suction biopsy specimen yielding at least 2 mm.2 of submucosa is diagnostic of Hirschsprung's disease. © 1969.