title: Abscess and fistulae in Crohn's disease.
abstract: In a series of 360 patients with Crohn's disease 18% have developed a complication of abscess and/or fistula. Both complications can be spontaneous but more commonly occur in patients who have had a previous operation. There is a high incidence of fistula after laparotomy without resection of diseased bowel. Simple drainage of an abscess is usually followed by a fistula and fistulae do not close spontaneously. The optimal surgical treatment for fistula and for deep abscess is excision in continuity with the diseased segment of intestine.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013997:Time Factors