Diagnostic problems of hirschsprung’s disease in neonates: clinical examples

Hirschsprung’s disease usually manifests from the first days of life and is diagnosed in the newborn period. In some patients Hirschsprung’s disease can’t be diagnosed in the newborn period because of different forms of disease and clinical features. From 2008 to 2019 75 patients with Hirschsprung’s disease were operated in the City Children’s Hospital No. 1. 21 patients had delayed diagnosis. 11 newborns didn’t have very clear clinical symptoms, intestinal obstruction disappeared after decompression. 2 patients with associated chromosomal disorders were diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease later because of. In some of older patients disease manifested with severe constipations. Also, we presented some clinical cases of major diagnostic errors in patients with Hirschsprung’s disease. Conclusion. Diagnostic errors in patients with Hirschsprung’s disease are associated with the lack of alertness of neonatologists and inadequate interpretation of clinical manifestations and X-ray study. For many years these children can be treated by different specialists before having surgical consult.