Acute free perforation as first sign of Crohn's disease.

Free perforation with generalized peritonitis remains a rare manifestation of regional enteritis. Most of these perforations occur as complications of recurrent, well-diagnosed regional enteritis. A review of the literature reveals only 14 recorded cases of free perforation in patients without any previous abdominal complaints. The present report describes two more cases. Both of them were treated by resection of the involved segment with immediate anastomosis.