Eosinophilic cholecystitis

Abstract

A somewhat obese, 40-year old female presented with a classic history of gallbladder disease and a peripheral eosinophilia of 14% without an allergic history. A nonvisualizing oral cholecystogram was followed by an uneventful cholecystectomy. Pathological examination revealed a calculus in the cystic duct and a pure transmural eosinophilic infiltrate of the gallbladder wall. Postoperatively the peripheral eosinophilia returned to normal. Biopsies of the small bowel one year later showed focal mucosal eosinophilia when the patient had recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea and peripheral eosinophilia. Eosinophilic cholecystitis may represent a descrete entity in search of an etiology or involvement of the biliary tract by eosinophilic gastroenteritis.