Eosinophilic gastroenteritis

A review was undertaken of 220 case reports of eosinophilic gastroenteritis involving the gastrointestinal tract, with particular regard to its clinical presentation and management. The stomach was the single commonest site of involvement (43%), while 36% were found to have two or more sites of disease at the time of presentation. The most common presenting symptoms were episodic abdominal pain (77%) and diarrhoea (42%). A history of allergy was present in 52% of patients, while 8% reported aggravation of symptoms following the ingestion of certain foods. Two thirds of patients had reported symptoms of more than six months duration prior to diagnosis, while in 26%, five years or more had elapsed. Although surgical intervention was undertaken in 44% of patients at some stage in their management, the most successful mode of management was the institution of steroid therapy, where 90% reported rapid clinical improvement. There is no evidence that patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis have a higher incidence of subsequent gastrointestinal malignancies.