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Volume 39, Issue 1, 2025

Online ISSN: 3042-3511

ISSN: 3042-3503

Volume 39 , Issue 1, (2025)

Published: 31.03.2025.

Open Access

Welcome to Issue 39, No. 1 – the first of our two annual publications for this year. Inside, you'll find a curated selection of articles. Start your year with the essential knowledge and perspectives offered in this timely edition

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01.04.2018.

Special Session: Residents Session

Histopathological analysis of the enteric nervous system in children with constipation

Aim: Determination of frequency of patologic findings and types of pathologic findings in enteric nerve plexus (ENP) in colon biopsies in children with impaired bowel motility, specifically chronic constipation. Introduction: Chronic constipation is relatively common in children, and is most often a functional disorder that is responsive to dietary regime treatment. Rarely, some cases require biopsy and histopathologic analysis of ENP. Materials and Methods: Research consists of 299 colon biopsies taken from children with impaired bowel motility. Biopsies were analysed in Institute of pathology, Medical faculty in Belgrade, in the period of time from the year 2008 to 2018. Data analysis included standard methods of descriptive and analytic statistics. Results: Number of analysed biopsies was 588. Biopsies were taken from 184(61,5%) boys and 115(38,5%) girls. Most common referral diagnosis for biopsy was Hirschspung’s disease (HD) (153/299, 51,2%). Pathologic changes in ENP were found in 46,1% of patients (138/299). Histopathologic analysis confirmed clinical suspicion for HD in 48,4%(74/153) of patients. Most frequent pathologic finding secondary to HD were immature ganglion cells (26/299, 8,7%), ectopic position of ganglia in muscle layer of colonic wall (6/299, 2%), and unclassified dysganglioses (5/299, 1,7%). In six patients, cause of constipation was eosinophilic proctitis and/or mienteric ganglionitis. Acetilcholin esterase as diagnositic metod was applied in 29 patients. Immunohistochemical analises were used in 24 patients. Conclusion: HD and immaturity of ganglion cells are by far most frequently diagnosed causes of constipation in colon biopsies in pediatric patients. Eosinophilic proctitis and/or mienteric ganglionitis are rare causes of constipation in children.

Jovan Jevtic, Milica Skender Gazibara, Sanja Sindic Antunovic, Marija Lukac, Dragana Vujevic, Milos Lazic, Radmila Jankovic

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