The surgical complications of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Between January 1975 and July 1995, 44 gastrointestinal and 45 vascular complications of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV (EDS-IV) were reported in the literature. This included 41 colon perforations, 2 paraesophageal hernias, 22 spontaneous hemorrhages, 17 aneurysms, and 5 arterial dissections. Twenty-seven colonic perforations were treated with resection and diversion, 11 with total abdominal colectomy (TAC), and 3 with primary colon repair....