Abdominal complications of collagen vascular disease.

A retrospective study of 412 consecutive hospital admissions of patients with collagen vascular disease yielded 63 patients who were admitted for abdominal complaints. Of these 63 patients, 11 died during their admission of primary intra-abdominal pathology or a complication thereof. A significantly higher incidence of abdominal complications occurred in black women (P less than 0.01). Peritoneal signs invariably were lacking in patients who eventually died. Radiographic documentation of small bowel obstruction or gastroduodenal ulceration in these patients was particularly ominous. Rapid radiologic evaluation and early surgical intervention including diagnostic peritoneal lavage should decrease the mortality rate for these difficult patients.