Crohn's disease in a defined population course and results of surgical treatment. I. Small bowel disease.

In a total, unselected series of 207 patients with Crohn's disease diagnosed between 1958 and 1974, 87 of the 182 patients operated upon during the investigated period were, at a comprehensive reevaluation, found to have the disease predominantly or exclusively confined to the small bowel. In five of these cases wide-spread lesions were present. The frequency of preoperative sequelae or complications was low. Postoperative complications were comparatively few with only one death. The calculated recurrence rate at 15 years was 43%. In spite of the fact that some patients needed repeated resections, the outcome of surgery as assessed at the end of the observation time was good in most cases.