Eosinophilic enteritis: a rare cause of diarrhoea

BMJ Case Rep. 2013 Sep 30:2013:bcr2013201125. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2013-201125.

Abstract

We report a case of a healthy young man presenting with 1-week history of diarrhoea, acute abdominal pain and weight loss. Laboratory investigation showed very high peripheral eosinophils levels. After exclusion of the other causes of eosinophilia, a histological bowel sample analysis revealed marked eosinophilic infiltration of a small bowel mucosal layer which confirmed the suspicion of eosinophilic enteritis. Unlike most of the described cases, this patient did not require any specific treatment. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare and heterogeneous disease that is probably underdiagnosed in clinical practice because it requires a high degree of suspicion and an endoscopic biopsy for definite diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Biopsy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diarrhea / diagnosis
  • Diarrhea / etiology*
  • Enteritis / complications*
  • Enteritis / diagnosis
  • Eosinophilia / complications*
  • Eosinophilia / diagnosis
  • Gastritis / complications*
  • Gastritis / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Intestine, Small / pathology*
  • Male
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Supplementary concepts

  • Eosinophilic enteropathy