Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for the Diagnosis of a-Ganglionosis, a Controlled Prospective Trial (EDGE Trial) (EDGE)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01515501 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : January 24, 2012
Last Update Posted : August 16, 2018
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Constipation Hirschsprung Disease | Procedure: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) | Not Applicable |
Background: Adult and pediatric patients presenting with chronic constipation and/or motility disorders may be referred for rectal biopsy to rule out aganglionosis or Hirschsprung's disease. The traditional diagnostic test, rectal suction biopsy, is a blind technique and is insensitive in confirming the diagnosis. Frequently, patients require subsequent referral for a surgical full thickness biopsy.
Hypothesis: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) will improve the diagnostic yield for aganglionosis and decrease the need for subsequent surgical full thickness biopsy.
Methods: This is a prospective, single center, controlled investigation of EMR for the diagnosis of colonic aganglionosis / Hirschsprung's disease. Patients who are offered rectal suction biopsy will be offered enrollment. Enrolled patients will have one additional procedure (EMR) at the time of their rectal suction biopsy. Specimens will be analyzed pathologically for size, submucosal tissue adequacy, the presence of ganglionic tissue, and positivity by acetylcholinesterase staining. The adequacy of the tissue specimen, the proportion of diagnostic specimens, and the proportion of patients that would have required subsequent referral for full thickness biopsy, will be compared. Variable such as cost and recovery time will be compared. Biopsy results will be compared with patient's pre-endoscopy clinical data including their history of constipation, results of SITZ marker studies, Bristol stool scale, and anorectal manometry.
Results: The primary outcome variable will be the proportion of patients with a diagnostic specimen in each group. Secondary outcome variables will include the size of the specimen, the presence of ganglionic tissue, the presence of submucosal tissue, and the positivity of the acetylcholinesterase stain. The biopsy results will also be correlated with patient's clinical data including clinical history, Bristol stool scale, anorectal manometry results, and SITZ marker studies. Cost and recovery time will be compared.
Discussion: The proposed investigation may demonstrate that a simple endoscopic test, which uses direct visualization, can improve the diagnostic yield of rectal biopsies for Hirschsprung's disease, and spare patients an additional surgical full thickness rectal biopsy.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 12 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Diagnostic |
Official Title: | Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for the Diagnosis of a-Ganglionosis, a Controlled Prospective Trial (EDGE Trial) |
Actual Study Start Date : | October 2007 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | February 2012 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | August 2018 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Endoscopic mucosal resection
At time of rectal section biopsy all subjects will under go the additional intervention of an endoscopic muscosal resection.
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Procedure: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)
EMR uses an endoscope to take a tissue sample from the rectum. It is the same type of instrument used in a routine colonoscopy. It is hoped that this procedure will help diagnose Hirschsprung's Disease more often than by recal suction biopsy alone, which can often be unclear and result in more invasive surgery for diagnosis. |
- The number of EMR Biopsies that are diagnostic specimens [ Time Frame: One Year ]The adequacy of the tissue specimen, the proportion of diagnostic specimens, and the proportion of patients that would have required subsequent referral for full thickness biopsy, will be compared. Variable such as cost and recovery time will be compared. Biopsy results will be compared with patient's pre-endoscopy clinical data including their history of constipation, results of SITZ marker studies, Bristol stool scale, and anorectal manometry.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 10 Years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- 10 years of age or older
- offered Rectal Suction biopsy
Exclusion Criteria:
- any contraindication to general anesthesia or conscious sedation
- contraindication to endoscopy
- untreated or unmanageable coagulopathy
- thrombocytopenia (<50)
- inability to provide informed consent.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01515501
United States, Massachusetts | |
Massachusetts General Hospital | |
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114 |
Principal Investigator: | Braden Kuo, M.D. | Massachusetts General Hospital |
Responsible Party: | Branden Kuo, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01515501 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
MGH2007p001577 |
First Posted: | January 24, 2012 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | August 16, 2018 |
Last Verified: | August 2018 |
Constipation Hirschsprung Disease |
Hirschsprung Disease Constipation Signs and Symptoms, Digestive Digestive System Abnormalities Digestive System Diseases |
Megacolon Colonic Diseases Intestinal Diseases Gastrointestinal Diseases Congenital Abnormalities |