Diagnosis of congenital neurogenic abnormalities of the bowel with monoclonal anti-neurofilament antibodies.

The diagnostic properties of two monoclonal, antineurofilament antibodies were tested in a retrospective investigation of bowel specimens of 24 cases of Hirschsprung's disease, eight cases of long-segment aganglionosis, eight cases of pseudo-obstruction, and six cases of chronic constipation. Immunohistochemical staining with the antibodies in combination with hematoxylin counterstaining revealed six distinctive and divergent pictures, demonstrating innervation disturbances in all cases. Apart from Hirschsprung's disease and long-segment aganglionosis, characteristic pictures also appeared for pseudo-obstruction and, diversely, for chronic constipation. In addition, anomalies were revealed in the ganglionic, proximal bowel of five patients with Hirschsprung's and two with long-segment aganglionosis, who had all suffered from chronic constipation postoperatively.