title: A case of eosinophilic cholangitis: imaging findings of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, cholangioscopy, and intraductal ultrasonography.
abstract: A 38-year-old woman was referred to our institution due to epigastralgia. She presented with obstructive jaundice and eosinophilia. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed diffuse narrowing from the distal common bile duct to the bifurcation of the hepatic ducts. An endoscopic plastic biliary stent was inserted; the specimen obtained from the common bile duct wall revealed dense infiltration by eosinophils. Treatment was started with prednisolone 60 mg daily. The patient's biliary stenosis and eosinophilia gradually improved. Eosinophilic infiltration in the lungs or stomach is relatively common, but it is rare in the common bile duct. Most of the reported cases of eosinophilic cholangitis presented with eosinophilia; our patient's eosinophil count was over 1000/mm(3). Since our patient had allergies to pollen and house dust, a relationship between the allergies and the eosinophilic cholangitis was suspected, but no cause was identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nihon University Surugadai Hospital, 1-8-13, Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8309, Japan. nm3802@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Naohide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Ariyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugitani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media