Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis or Enteropathy
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Clinic
- EG or EGE is a rare and heterogeneous Enteropathy characterized by patchy or diffuse eosinophilic infiltration of GI tissue
- Presentation may vary depending on location as well as depth and extent of bowel wall involvement and usually runs a chronic relapsing course.
- 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.
Signs and symptoms
- Combination of chronic nonspecific GI symptoms (Abdominal pain + Diarrhea + Occasional nausea and vomiting + Weight loss + Abdominal distension).
- Mucosal EG (25–100%) is the most common variety, which presents with features of malabsorption and protein losing enteropathy. Failure to thrive and anaemia may also be present. Lower gastrointestinal bleeding may imply colonic involvement.
- Muscular EG (13–70%) present with obstruction of gastric outlet or small intestine; sometimes as an obstructing caecal mass or intussusception.
- Subserosal EG (4.5% to 9% in Japan and 13% in the US) presents with ascites which is usually exudative in nature, abundant peripheral eosinophilia.
- Other documented features are Cholangitis, Pancreatitis, Eosinophilic splenitis, Acute appendicitis and giant refractory duodenal ulcer.