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. 1969 Aug 9;3(5666):330-3-330-4, 338-340. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5666.330-a

Adrenergic Innervation of Bowel in Hirschsprung's Disease

B J Gannon, Helen R Noblet, G Burnstock
PMCID: PMC1989105  PMID: 5800344

Abstract

The adrenergic innervation of normal and aganglionic regions of bowel from patients with Hirschsprung's disease was investigated by a fluorescent histochemical technique. In normal bowel the adrenergic nerves end about intramural ganglion cells. In aganglionic bowel the adrenergic nerves form a dense varicose plexus in both muscularis externa and muscularis mucosae. It is suggested that the cause of megacolon in Hirschsprung's disease is due to a lack of nervous pathways controlling the intrinsic reflexes, which is probably congenital in origin.

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Selected References

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