A man with abdominal pain and eosinophilia : tissue is the issue

Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 2019 Oct-Dec;82(4):532-535.

Abstract

A 24-year-old male presented with abdominal pain, postprandial vomiting and weight loss. Lab results showed an elevated serum eosinophil count and CT-scan demonstrated a thickened antral, duodenal and jejunal wall. Repetitive endoscopic mucosal biopsies were normal. Work-up of eosinophilia-associated gastro-intestinal disorders excluded secondary causes. Bone marrow showed an elevated eosinophil count without arguments for a primary hypereosinophilic syndrome. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy detected a strongly elevated number of eosinophils in the muscularis layer of the duodenum. The diagnosis of muscularispredominant eosinophilic gastroenteritis together with a secondary hypereosinophilic syndrome was made. The patient was started on steroids and all symptoms vanished within a few days.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Pain / etiology*
  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Duodenum / immunology*
  • Duodenum / pathology
  • Enteritis
  • Eosinophils*
  • Gastritis / diagnosis
  • Gastritis / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / blood
  • Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / complications
  • Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / diagnosis*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / immunology*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Male
  • Vomiting / etiology
  • Weight Loss
  • Young Adult