[Clinical and neurohistological aspects of constipation in newborn and early childhood].

This study is based on a collection of 385 cases of constipation in newborn infants and young children, investigated clinically and by means of histological and neurohistological examination of biopsies taken from the rectal mucosa. Neurohistological techniques proved superior for the differential diagnosis and, hence, of greater value for determining further therapeutic management, both medical and surcival. Four special problems are discussed: Hirschsprung's disease in different neurohistological and clinical findings in these cases, functional ileus of the large intestine in newborn infants, chronic constipation and, lastly, the problems of anal stenosis and anal atresia. The present series of cases serves to illustrate that colostomy, carried out at the right time, can be a life-saving procedure in coping with the grave problem of a potentially lethal enterocolithis in constipation of different aetiology of the newborn or somewhat older infant. Neurohistological investigation is, however, essential for verification of the diagnosis because in Hirschsprung's disease emergency colostomy prevents the development of megacolon.