title: Perforation of the small bowel with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Mesenteric occlusion is a rare and usually fatal complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We report a patient with RA who had an acute condition of the abdomen, with clinical evidence of perforated bowel confirmed by histologic study. The successful result in this case is attributed to early surgical intervention. Additional experience in dealing with this complication of RA is provided.
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000098:blood supply; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000209:etiology*