Poster Session I - A86 REAL LIFE DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF HIGH-RESOLUTION ANORECTAL MANOMETRY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF HIRSCHSPRUNG’S DISEASE IN CHILDREN

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Authors: M Awouters, Christophe C. Faure, Ann Aspirot
Cited by: 0

Abstract

Abstract Background High-Resolution Anorectal Manometry (HRARM) increasingly replaces conventional ARM for the assessment of the rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) for diagnosing Hirschsprung’s disease (HD). However, historic studies only included patients with a clinical suspicion of HD and its diagnostic accuracy in a broader pediatric population with severe constipation remains unclear. Aims We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of HRARM in diagnosing HD in children with severe constipation. Methods We retrospectively analyzed HRARM studies performed for severe constipation performed at CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, between April 2016 and April 2024. Patients were grouped by age: < 6 months old, 6-12 months old and ≥ 12 months old. RAIR was deemed positive when both reproducible and proportional to balloon volume. Results Among 702 patients, eleven (1.6%) were diagnosed with ultrashort or short-segment HD. Overall HRARM sensitivity was 82%, specificity 91%, PPV 13%, and NPV 99.6% (Table 1). Sensitivity increased with age, while specificity and PPV decreased. Two diagnoses were initially missed, both in children < 6 months old. False negatives occurred in infants 1 year. We recommend anorectal biopsy only in patients with absent or equivocal RAIR if supported by a suggestive clinical history. In infants

Fields of Study & Subjects

Congenital gastrointestinal and neural anomalies Gastrointestinal motility and disorders Intestinal Malrotation and Obstruction Disorders

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
Volume
9
Issue
Supplement_1
Publication date
1 February 2026
Language
EN