Short segment Hirschsprung's disease as a cause of discrepancy between histologic, histochemical, and clinical features.

Diagnostic difficulty may be encountered in Hirschsprung's disease when discrepancy is noted between the histochemical pattern, the presence or absence of ganglion cells, and clinical features. This is mainly a problem in neonates, and the cause of the discrepancy is probably due to biopsy specimens being taken above a short aganglionic segment. When short segment Hirschsprung's disease is suspected, a low suction biopsy should be taken for the demonstration of acetylcholinesterase activity.