Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34554294›Full record

ArticlePediatric surgery international2022

Is the appendix a good organ to diagnose total colonic aganglionosis?

Marina L Reppucci, Michael A Arnold, Mark Lovell, Karla Santos-Jasso, Jill Ketzer, Alberto Pena, Luis de la Torre, Andrea Bischoff

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric surgery international, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. Surgical pathology of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR).World journal of pediatric surgery · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Hirschsprung disease.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2023
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Marina L ReppucciInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13213 E 16th Ave, Anschutz Medical Campus, Box 323, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Michael A ArnoldDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Mark LovellDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Karla Santos-JassoDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Pediatria, Mexico City, Mexico.
Jill KetzerInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13213 E 16th Ave, Anschutz Medical Campus, Box 323, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Alberto PenaInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13213 E 16th Ave, Anschutz Medical Campus, Box 323, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Luis de la TorreInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13213 E 16th Ave, Anschutz Medical Campus, Box 323, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Andrea BischoffInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13213 E 16th Ave, Anschutz Medical Campus, Box 323, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA. andrea.bischoff@childrenscolorado.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe use of the appendix for diagnosis of Total Colonic Aganglionosis (TCA) remains controversial. This study aimed to categorize the presence of ganglion cells in the appendix and determine its reliability as a histological specimen for the diagnosis of TCA.

methodsThis was a combined retrospective and prospective study. Permanent histological specimens of normal appendices removed during appendectomy for malrotation or falsely presumed appendicitis, and from patients with short segment Hirschsprung's disease (HD) or TCA were included. Permanent specimens of the appendix tip from Malone procedures were prospectively collected. All specimens were independently reviewed by two experienced pathologists in a standardized manner to assess for the presence of ganglion cells.

resultsA total of 112 appendices were evaluated. Nine came from patients with a diagnosis of TCA, and five from patients with HD. Ganglion cells were present in all specimens from patients with diagnoses other than TCA and were absent in all specimens from patients with TCA.

conclusionIn the correct clinical setting, the absence of ganglion cells in the appendix can allow for a reliable diagnosis of TCA.

Indexed as

AppendixHirschsprung DiseaseHumansProspective StudiesReproducibility of ResultsRetrospective StudiesAppendixHirschsprung’s diseaseTotal Colonic Anganglionosis

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.