Treatment of skin irritation around enterostomies with cholestyramine ointment.

Eight patients with inflammation of the skin about the cutaneous stoma responded to local application of a 20% cholestyramine ointment in a short period of time. Two children treated with the hydrophilic base (Aquaphor) alone did not respond to treatment. The ileal bile acid patterns of two children with ileostomies were found to be different from that of the control group. Ileostomy patients had a higher concentration for total bile acids and a higher percentage of free bile acids.