Question

"Patient: 2 week-old new-born male

Chief complaint: The patient's parents are concerned with the infant's poor appetite, distended abdomen and infrequent bowel movements.
Background: None
Current Findings: Abdominal radiograph shows a dilated distal colon. Rectal suction biopsy confirms the absence of ganglion cells in the wall of the intestine.

What is the primary cause of this condition?
a. Incomplete retraction of the intestinal loops (midgut) during physiological gut herniation
b. Failure of neural crest cells to completely colonize the digestive tract
c. Intestinal malrotation resulting in blood flow interruption and digestive tract obstruction"

Answer 1

The primary cause of the infant's condition is failure of neural crest cells to completely colonize the digestive tract, leading to Hirschsprung's disease. The correct answer is option b.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary cause of the infant's condition is failure of neural crest cells to completely colonize the digestive tract. This condition is known as Hirschsprung's disease, which is characterized by the absence of ganglion cells in the wall of the intestine. Ganglion cells are responsible for controlling the peristaltic movements of the intestines.

Hirschsprung's disease is caused by a developmental defect in the migration of neural crest cells, which normally colonize the entire length of the digestive tract. In this case, the failure of neural crest cells to colonize the distal colon results in the dilated distal colon seen on the abdominal radiograph.

Surgery is the primary treatment for Hirschsprung's disease, where the affected portion of the intestine is removed and the healthy portion is connected to the anus. This allows for normal bowel movements and alleviates the symptoms.