Eosinophilic gastroenteritis: our recent experience: one-year experience of atypical onset of an uncommon disease

Abstract

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an unusual entity that is rarely found in daily clinical practise. Its aetiology is unknown and diagnosis can be made microscopically with evidence of massive eosinophilic infiltration in patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, excluding entities that may cause such findings (parasitic infestation, medical therapy, inflammatory bowel disease, and so on). Allergic processes are usually associated and these normally respond well to steroids. We present our last year's experience of four women with eosinophilic gastroenteritis with an extraordinary atypical clinical onset. Two of the women presented with an acute abdomen and two with isolated colonic involvement. The management of acute abdomen avoiding surgery and a complete response with azathioprine are the outstanding variables that make our recent cases of special interest. Demographic variables were similar to others reported from our medium, with the exception of a higher incidence of women. Our cases suggest the wide spectrum of clinical presentations and show the high suspicion index needed for a diagnosis that is made by pathologists.