Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis

Abstract

EOSINOPHILIC gastroenteritis is an uncommon and poorly understood entity which is of surgical significance because of its possible confusion with other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It may occur diffusely throughout the stomach and small intestine, or the involvement may be confined to a localized area, most commonly the gastric antrum. In addition to the diffuse form of this disease, fairly localized eosinophilic granulomatous lesions, usually occurring in the stomach, have been described and are usually classified under the same heading. In the past, considerable confusion in terminology has arisen because the term "eosinophilic granuloma" has been applied to this lesion. The gastrointestinal disease is in no way related to the more common eosinophilic granuloma seen in bone and elsewhere. From the clinical standpoint, a history of recurrent episodes of abdominal pain associated with vomiting or diarrhea in a patient with peripheral eosinophilia and with an allergic background should suggest