Muratov I D, Krasovskaia T V, Vavilova T I, Kobzeva T N, Masenkov Iu I
Khirurgiia (Mosk). 1991 Dec(12):92-8.
The authors had 52 newborns and infants with Hirschsprung's disease under observation. The activity of tissue acetylcholinesterase (ASE) was tested by the Karnovsky-Ruts method in 35 cases. ACE activity was evaluated according to 5 types and a specific "newborn" type was set apart. A positive (42.9%) and weakly positive (28.6%) types of ACE activity prevailed in the neonatal period. Test for ACE activity performed in dynamics in 15 newborns showed gradual accumulation of ACE in the mucosa of the large intestine. In 6 (17.1%) babies a false-negative ACE activity was found, which was encountered in hypogangliosis and long-segmental forms. False-positive reactions were not encountered. Histochemical diagnosis made it possible to recognise Hirschprung's disease of the newborn in 82.9% of cases.
