The small bowel enema in the patient with an ileostomy.

Fifty-nine patients with an ileostomy were studied who were examined by small bowel enema over a 10-year period. Twenty-two subsequently underwent surgery, nine for recurrent Crohn's disease, seven for obstruction due to adhesions or internal hernia and one for ovarian carcinoma. The remaining five patients with colonic Crohn's disease had panproctocolectomy or closure of the ileostomy. The small bowel enema is a reliable method for investigating the small intestine of patients with an ileostomy.