title: New-onset hypercholesterolemia as an unusual presenting manifestation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis.
abstract: We describe an unusual case of new-onset hypercholesterolemia in a 28-year-old man. The presence of low serum albumin and hypercholesterolemia established the suspicion of gastrointestinal disease. Technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid scintigraphy was performed to identify possible protein-losing enteropathy. The results were consistent with eosinophilic gastroenteritis, a rare disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration that may involve several digestive tract layers. To our knowledge, this is the first time that hypercholesterolemia has been recognizing as the presenting manifestation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis. The patient has been successfully treated with prednisone and budesonide. Hypercholesterolemia may be an early manifestation of a serious underlying disease, among which eosinophilic gastroenteritis should also be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrine-Metabolic Science and Biochemistry, University of Siena, Policlinico Le Scotte, Viale Bracci 2, 53100 Siena, Italy. gonnelli@unisi.it
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonnelli
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tanzilli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burroni
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caffarelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004751:Enteritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male