Hirschsprung's disease

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Hirschsprung's disease

Hirschsprung's disease is a birth defect in which certain nerve cells in a part of the large intestine are missing, and the muscles in that area can't relax. Because the muscle contractions that normally push food and digestive waste through that area can't occur, stool gets trapped, and inflammation and constipation develop.

Hirschsprung's disease may be a sudden, life-threatening condition, or it may be a long-term problem that is less serious but more difficult to diagnose. Symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease include intermittent vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and a severely swollen abdomen. It is usually diagnosed in infancy. If it is not diagnosed until later in life, other symptoms may appear, such as loss of appetite, lack of the urge to pass stools, and poor overall health.

Hirschsprung's disease is treated with surgery to remove the affected part of the intestine.

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Author	Jeannette Curtis
Author	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Tracy Landauer
Associate Editor	Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last Updated	May 25, 2007

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Last updated:	May 25, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC

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