Hirschsprung's Disease (Noun)
Meaning
Congenital condition in which the colon does not have the normal network of nerves; there is little urge to defecate so the feces accumulate and cause megacolon.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- Hirschsprung's disease is a congenital condition that affects the colon and causes severe constipation and intestinal obstruction in infants and young children.
- One of the main symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease is the inability to pass meconium, which is the newborn's first stool, within 48 hours of birth.
- In normal conditions, the enteric nervous system stimulates the muscles in the intestinal tract to move the contents of the bowel towards the anus, but in Hirschsprung's disease, the nerves are missing or immature.
- Hirschsprung's disease is a genetic disorder and researchers have discovered several genes that contribute to the onset of the disease, but the exact mechanisms are still not well understood.
- Surgery is usually the treatment of choice for Hirschsprung's disease, as it aims to remove the section of the colon that is affected by the absence of nerve cells.