PMC3934697_01
Abdominal X-ray showing megacolon.
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F1
During the last admission to our hospital, an abdominal X-ray showed a massively distended large bowel (fig. 1), and an abdominal computed tomography scan did not reveal any mechanical obstruction (fig. 2).
Intraoperative picture of the dilated large bowel (after patient's personal permission).
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F3
During laparotomy (fig. 3) no obvious mechanical cause was found and a subtotal colectomy and Hartmann's procedure was performed.
Giant ganglion cells stained with neuron-specific enolase antibodies (x400).
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F4
A small number of isolated ganglion cells and giant submucosal ganglia (containing 7-15 ganglion cells) (fig. 4) were also detected in the submucosa.