Viscoelastic properties of the rectal wall in Hirschsprung's disease.

Viscoelastic properties of the rectal wall were compared with Hirschsprung's disease. The elasticity of the rectal wall after accomodation to distension was found to be significantly greater (P less than 0.001) in patients, and the time taken by the rectum to accomodate was also found to be longer (P less than 0.001). The increased elasticity correlated well with severity of the illness, but none of the parameters correlated with length of aganglionic segment. Measuring elastic properties of the rectal wall may help to assess the severity of illness in patients with Hirschsprung's disease.