Nontraumatic perforations of the small intestine

Nontraumatic perforation of the small intestine is very rarely found as a cause of abdominal disease. A series of 8 patients admitted to our hospital from 1990-1994 was reviewed. Underlying conditions were typhoid ulcers, (two patients), adhesions (two patients), hemorrhagic ileitis, (one patient), radiation enteritis (one patient) and SLE (one patient). The cause remained unclear in one patient (idiopathic). As surgical therapy, resection and anastomosis were preferred in order to make thorough histologic examination of the perforated bowel possible. One anastomosis leakage with spontaneous closure was observed. There was no operative mortality.