Abstract
Serum and erythrocyte cholinesterase activity was measured in 16 normal controls, 9 pre-operative and 17 postoperative patients of Hirschsprung's disease. In concern with erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity, no significant difference was found among these three groups. However, serum cholinesterase activity in preoperative patients of Hirschsprung's disease was significantly higher than in normal controls. In patients undergone the Duhamel-Okamoto procedure, in whom the agangljonie segment remains in the anterior wall of the rectum, serum cholinesterase activity was high. On the other hand, serum ・cholinesterase activity in patients undergone Swenson's procedure was apparently lower than in preoperative patients. These results suggest that the elevated activity of serum cholinescterase observed in patients before operation and in those undergone Duhamel-Okamoto procedure for Hirschsprung's disease is due to the presence of the aganglionic segment.
