[Finding of ganglion cells in the mucosa of the colon, sigmoid flexure, and rectum (author's transl)].

The ectopic position of the ganglion cells of Meissner's plexus in the basal and central portions of the mucosa in the colon descendens and sigmoid flexure, as they were found by Stöhr in humans, by Ohkubo in monkeys, and by Meier-Ruge in neuronal colon dysplasia, can be considered a relatively frequent finding. The present authors also observed the cells in human biopsy material. The same position in the rectal mucosa, frequently seen in Morbus Down, seems to be a rare occurrence. The clinical relevance of an ectopic position of ganglion cells is not yet known.