Hirschsprung's disease: a possible cause of anastomotic failure following repair of intestinal atresia.

Despite several reported cases, the association of Hirschsprung's disease and intestinal atresia is not widely recognized. We describe three patients with jejunoileal atresia who all had a preoperative barium enema that failed to show a transition zone. All three patients developed an anastomotic leak of the atresia repair, and required a temporary diverting enterostomy. Two patients had total colonic Hirschsprung's disease and in one, the transition zone was in the midtransverse colon. Histological examination of the appendix at the time of repair may be helpful in patients with small intestinal atresia. In patients who develop an anastomotic breakdown, rectal biopsy should be performed to rule out Hirschsprung's disease.