Hirschsprungs disease

Hirschsprung’s disease
Hirschsprung’s disease is a condition that occurs as a result of the absence of nerve cells in the colon, preventing the colon from emptying normally. Newborns with this condition usually present with an inability to pass stool in the first few days of life. In some cases, the condition is only diagnosed much later on in children with a longstanding history of constipation. Other symptoms include abdominal distension, constipation, diarrhoea and failure to thrive. The disease is treated with surgery, during which the affected part of the colon is removed and bowel with nerve cells are brought down to the anal canal to enable spontaneous passage of stool.