Question: How to diagnose What I need to know about Hirschsprung Disease ?
Answer: HD is diagnosed based on symptoms and test results. A doctor will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your childs bowel movements. HD is much less likely if parents can identify a time when their childs bowel habits were normal. If HD is suspected, the doctor will do one or more tests. X rays An x ray is a black-and-white picture of the inside of the body. To make the large intestine show up better, the doctor may fill it with barium liquid. Barium liquid is inserted into the large intestine through the anus. If HD is the problem, the last segment of the large intestine will look narrower than normal. Just before this narrow segment, the intestine will look bulged. The bulging is caused by blocked stool stretching the intestine. Manometry During manometry, the doctor inflates a small balloon inside the rectum. Normally, the rectal muscles will relax. If the muscles dont relax, HD may be the problem. This test is most often done in older children and adults. Biopsy Biopsy is the most accurate test for HD. The doctor removes a tiny piece of the large intestine and looks at it with a microscope. If nerve cells are missing, HD is the problem.
Source: NIDDK