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Hirschsprung Disease: History

Video Published 2019-01-11 Updated 2026-06-10

Timestops (41)

0:00
Start now with a history quiz just to know how much everyone…
Start now with a history quiz just to know how much everyone remembers. I think if we don't know history, we are always …
0:14
The first question is in which year Harald Hisprung presente…
The first question is in which year Harald Hisprung presented a paper on constipation in newborns due to dilation and hy…
0:40
So everybody can stay awake and participating as much as pos…
So everybody can stay awake and participating as much as possible. So before you give the answer, I want to tell you wha…
0:52
So far 100% of the respondents are saying 1886.
So far 100% of the respondents are saying 1886. So I think they know everything. We should just stop the show. Very good…
1:09
Hirprung was actually a pediatrician
Hirprung was actually a pediatrician, and he had many contributions in pediatric surgery, one unrelated with Hirsprung's…
1:34
Number 1
Number 1, obstruction, dilated colon was due to a mechanical blockage from redundant colon or rectal valves. Number 2, m…
2:02
We're going to wait a minute.
We're going to wait a minute. There's a little bit of, uh, I want to make sure everyone has a chance. But so far, OK, we…
2:22
30% about the same spastic colon, 20% obstruction.
30% about the same spastic colon, 20% obstruction. Very good. So the real answer is malformation, but we must remember t…
2:44
So all those theorists were trying to explain why the dilate…
So all those theorists were trying to explain why the dilated portion was the cause of the disease and not the consequen…
3:14
Option 4, Franz Koe.
Option 4, Franz Koe. Option 5, William Osler. Everybody can vote. And Todd is gonna give us what's the poll looking like…
3:30
I don't wanna go too quick because it keeps changing every s…
I don't wanna go too quick because it keeps changing every second here. It's all over the place, all over the place. Ver…
3:49
So let's see, Robert Gross, 40%.
So let's see, Robert Gross, 40%. William Osler. is about 20%. Swenson It's changing so much. 25% and Ladd is 16%.
4:04
Very good.
Very good. And the answer actually is Doctor William Osler. He was one of the four founding professors of Johns Hopkins,…
4:24
Everybody raise their hands if you're in a big room.
Everybody raise their hands if you're in a big room. In which year the finding of no ganglion cells in the narrow rectal…
4:54
Yes, it should be.
Yes, it should be. Yeah 10. So. How do your posts have to be. Just use 123
5:20
And the answer is actually number 1, 1946 Over Swensen.
And the answer is actually number 1, 1946 Over Swensen. Actually, others have recognized that there were no ganglion cel…
5:47
but it was only Dr.
but it was only Dr. Over Swensen, the one that identified this as the cause of the disease, not something that was happe…
5:58
The next question is
The next question is, all these treatments were used for Hiprung prior to 1946 except anal sphincter dilation, rectosigm…
6:27
Looks like most people are saying option choice 6.
Looks like most people are saying option choice 6. Very good. Some are saying some are interesting though, Andrea. Some …
6:41
I have not.
I have not. Is this some new thing, Dr. Pena? Do you want to comment on what is an electric enema.
6:50
An electric enema was described in 1908 or around those year…
An electric enema was described in 1908 or around those years, and what happened is that somebody came up with the idea …
7:12
So by giving about 40 milliamps of interrupted the cycling c…
So by giving about 40 milliamps of interrupted the cycling current, they facilitated the expel of the saline solution fr…
7:39
We don't know actually how much that works from the therapeu…
We don't know actually how much that works from the therapeutic point of view or actually to produce pleasure because en…
8:07
Option 1, 1938.
Option 1, 1938. Option 2, 1948. Option 3, 1958. Option 4, 1968. Option 5, 1988.
8:19
Everybody can vote and we're going to look at the results of…
Everybody can vote and we're going to look at the results of your poll. So the results are coming in. It's a varied resp…
8:39
Dr.
Dr. Swenson was also in this publication, and it's very interesting. At the end, I will comment on what was the rational…
9:00
Option 1, 1915.
Option 1, 1915. Option 2, 1935. Option 3, 1955. Option 4, 1975. Option 5, 1995.
9:13
Everybody can vote.
Everybody can vote. OK, I think we're back with my screen, so we're going to move to the next question.
9:42
Who proposed punch biopsies for newborns that required no cl…
Who proposed punch biopsies for newborns that required no closure nor anesthesia? Option 1, Wer ver Swenson. Option 2, G…
10:00
Everybody can vote.
Everybody can vote. Mark, can you put that poll back up again? I had it up. And we're going to wait for your answer. Yea…
10:17
Mark, I'll do it.
Mark, I'll do it. Just uh leave my poles up and I'll take them down. Yeah, thanks. Everybody can vote. And currently I s…
10:46
And the answer is number 4, bearish handling.
And the answer is number 4, bearish handling. He was the one that proposed the punch biopsy. Now who performed the first…
11:00
We don't know, huh?
We don't know, huh? Barry Shandling work in Canada, Canadian, Canadian, yes. So who performed the first successful opera…
11:18
Option 3, Rein.
Option 3, Rein. Option 4, Kaywater. Option 5, Sydegaard. So I suspect most people will get this one wrong. I'm just curi…
11:34
And I see many people voting in number one, Dr.
And I see many people voting in number one, Dr. Lester Martin. Dr. Lester Martin actually was the chief of pediatric sur…
11:56
The answer is Dr.
The answer is Dr. Sandegaard, and he is from Sweden. And it was in 1953, and he did a colon resection with an ileoanal a…
12:19
Everybody for such a long time was looking in the same direc…
Everybody for such a long time was looking in the same direction, thinking that the dilated bowel was the cause of the d…
12:48
And if you read his articles on how he explained how it all …
And if you read his articles on how he explained how it all came to his mind, it's completely logical. So he said that h…
13:10
So when the patient had a colostomy
So when the patient had a colostomy, he decided to scope from the distal, from the rectum, and he saw that there was act…
13:35
And then finally he decided to do a contrast study and he st…
And then finally he decided to do a contrast study and he started to observe this non-dilated followed by a dilated port…
13:59
They were very good actually.
They were very good actually. They were very good. So congratulations.

Topic Overview

Interactive quiz-based lecture tracing the historical evolution of Hirschsprung disease understanding from Harald Hirschsprung's 1886 presentation through Orvar Swenson's 1946 recognition of aganglionosis as the disease mechanism. Reviews early misguided theories, diagnostic milestones, and treatment attempts before modern surgical approaches.

Key Takeaways

  • Harald Hirschsprung presented his paper on congenital megacolon in 1886 at the Society of Pediatrics in Berlin as a pediatrician.
  • Early theories incorrectly focused on the dilated colon as diseased rather than recognizing it as a consequence of distal obstruction.
  • Orvar Swenson in 1946 first recognized absent ganglion cells in the distal rectosigmoid as the cause, not an acquired condition.
  • Pre-1946 treatments included sphincter dilation, myotomy, sympathectomy, and electric enemas—all ineffective without addressing aganglionosis.
  • Historical perspective prevents repeating failed approaches and shows evolution from symptom management to definitive surgical correction.

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