title: Eosinophilic gastroenteritis of the pancreas: an unusual cause of obstructive jaundice.
abstract: Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is a rare gastrointestinal disorder of undetermined etiology and is manifest by eosinophilic infiltration of any area of gastrointestinal tract, most frequently stomach and small intestine. Peripheral eosinophilia is present in about 80% of patients. Definitive diagnosis requires histologic evidence of eosinophilic infiltration; which is usually patchy in distribution. Steroids are the mainstay of treatment. We present a case of 47-year-old man with abdominal pain, jaundice, and marked eosinophilia. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatogram revealed a dilated common bile duct. There was biopsy proven eosinophilic infiltration in stomach, duodenum, gall bladder, and pancreas. Obstructive jaundice is an extremely rare manifestation of EG. This unusual case illustrates the wide variety of gastrointestinal manifestations caused by EG and emphasizes the importance of clinical suspicion and endoscopic mucosal biopsies in diagnosis of EG. This entity should be considered in the patients with chronic and relapsing gastrointestinal symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA. drankursheth@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ankur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheth
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manas
authors.forename: Ami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhalodia
mesh_terms: D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D010192:Pancreatic Pseudocyst / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed