Eosinophilic gastroenteritis 

Pathophysiology:

• Unknown etiology 
• Affect any part of the GIT: stomach and small intestine most commonly affected
• Eosinophilic infiltration of the gut wall (may be mucosal, muscular or subserosal)
  • in the absence of parasitic infection or eosinophilia of other tissues.
• Peripheral blood eosinophilia: present in around 70% of cases. 

Clinical features 

• H/O other allergic disorders. 
• F/O obstruction and inflammation:
  • colicky pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss. 
• Protein-losing enteropathy 
• Steatorrhoea may be present 
• Serosal involvement may produce eosinophilic ascites. 

Investigations:

Management:

• Dietary manipulations:  
  • initial strategy, but are rarely effective, 
  • elimination diets (especially of milk) may benefit a few patients. 
• For severe symptoms  
  • prednisolone (20–40 mg daily) 
  • sodium cromoglicate, which stabilizes mast cell membranes. 

Prognosis: good in the majority of patients.