Eosinophilic gastroenteritis

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis
H&E Stain: Dense Eosinophilic infiltration of gastro-duodenal wall
Classification and external resources
ICD-10	K52.8
ICD-9-CM	558.3
DiseasesDB	32555
eMedicine	med/688
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Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is a rare and heterogeneous condition characterized by patchy or diffuse eosinophilic infiltration of gastrointestinal (GI) tissue, first described by Kaijser in 1937. Presentation may vary depending on location as well as depth and extent of bowel wall involvement and usually runs a chronic relapsing course. It can be classified into mucosal, muscular and serosal types based on the depth of involvement. Any part of the GI tract can be affected, and isolated biliary tract involvement has also been reported. The stomach is the organ most commonly affected, followed by the small intestine and the colon.

Peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE are usual but not universal. The damage to the gastrointestinal tract wall is caused by eosinophilic infiltration and degranulation.

As a part of host defense mechanism, eosinophils are normally present in gastrointestinal mucosa, though the finding in deeper tissue is almost always pathologic. What triggers such dense infiltration in EG is not clear. It is possible that different pathogenetic mechanisms of disease is involved in several subgroups of patients. Food allergy and variable IgE response to food substances has been observed in some patients which implies role of hypersensitive response in pathogenesis. Many patients indeed have history of other atopic conditions like eczema, asthma, etc.

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