[Hirschsprung disease. Discussion of a disease picture also relevant to neonatology].
The clinical disease pattern of an "acute abdomen" is by no means rare in newborn and very young infants and always signals an emergency situation. Besides inflammatory causes, congenital anomalies are among the most prominent reasons responsible for this condition. The example of 3 own patients serves to illustrate the disease pattern of Hirschsprung's disease, which is discussed with special reference to neonatology.