1: J Med Assoc Thai.  2000 Oct;83(10):1196-201.  

New classification of histochemical staining patterns of acetylcholinesterase
activity in rectal suction biopsy in Hirschsprung's disease.

Chentanez V, Chittmittrapap S, Cheepsoonthorn P, Agthong S.

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
10330, Thailand.

Several previous studies have introduced classifications of Acetylcholinesterase
(AChE) histochemical staining patterns in rectal suction biopsy performed in
patients with Hirschsprung's disease. However, we introduce a new classification
that is less complicated but shows the same age dependence as seen in previous
studies. 135 rectal suction biopsies were submitted to histochemical staining
for AChE activity and 88 specimens showed increased AChE activity. Therefore, we
retrospectively analysed these 88 cases and could establish three patterns.
Pattern I, presence of thick nerve trunks or coarse nerve fibers only in the
muscularis mucosae and submucosa. This pattern was mainly seen in children aged
6 months or below. Pattern II, presence of abundant nerve fibers in all three
layers of mucosa. This pattern was predominantly seen in children over 6 months
of age. Pattern III, not predominant in any age group, showed positive nerve
fibers in all three layers but, in one or more layers, the nerve fibers were
sparse. Upon comparison with previous studies, we could observe the same
age-pattern relationship. Thus, we propose this method of classification as a
new tool to classify AChE histochemical staining patterns.

PMID: 11143485 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]