The effect of diversion of intestinal contents on the progress of Crohn's disease of the large bowel.

This study shows that faecal diversion by ileostomy or colostomy results in an improvement in the patient's general health which is substantiated by the haematological and biochemical findings. However, in the bowel distal to the diversion there is always histological evidence of mucosal and transmural disease and complications such as fistulae may still occur. In only two patients (7%) was restoration of bowel continuity successful.