GE: Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology (Nov 2017)

Eosinophilic Enterocolitis: An Exceedingly Rare Entity

  • Richard José Lopes Azevedo,
  • João Pinto,
  • Helena Ribeiro,
  • Flávio Pereira,
  • Cátia Leitão,
  • Ana Caldeira,
  • Eduardo Pereira,
  • António José Duarte Banhudo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1159/000481915

Abstract

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Eosinophilic enterocolitis is an exceptionally rare condition with few described cases in the literature, representing the least frequent manifestation of the wide spectrum of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders. We describe a case of a young male patient presenting with a panmural form of the disease, manifested by abdominal pain, distention, and watery diarrhea with 4 days of evolution, bowel wall thickening, and ascites. Eosinophilic ascites is probably the most unusual presentation form of this entity. It poses a diagnostic challenge because of its nonspecific symptoms, associated with the absence of standardized histological criteria, hence requiring a high level of suspicion. There is also no consensus regarding treatment: it should be individualized according to the patient's age and severity of symptoms.

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