title: Clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and resource utilization in children and adults with eosinophilic gastroenteritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare condition where eosinophilic inflammation occurs in the gastrointestinal tract in the absence of secondary causes. Little is known regarding aetiology, pathogenesis, or natural history.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the clinical, endoscopic, and histopathologic features of eosinophilic gastroenteritis and to summarize treatment outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pathology reports of all patients who had undergone upper endoscopy with biopsy between January 1, 2000 and June 20, 2013 were reviewed. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis was diagnosed if there were ≥20 eosinophils/hpf on either gastric of duodenal biopsy, symptoms attributable to the gastrointestinal tract, and no known secondary cause of eosinophilia. Descriptive statistics characterized patients diagnosed with eosinophilic gastroenteritis and bivariate analysis compared adults and children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 44 patients diagnosed with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease. The most common symptoms were vomiting (71%) and abdominal pain (62%). Of the eosinophilic gastroenteritis cases, 12 (30%) had esophageal involvement, and 11 (28%) had colonic involvement. For treatment, 36 (80%) received corticosteroids. Overall, 27 (60%) had symptom resolution and 23 (51%) had endoscopic resolution. Cases underwent a mean of five endoscopic procedures per year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eosinophilic gastroenteritis presents with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms and in almost one-third of cases has concomitant esophageal or colonic involvement. It remains difficult to treat, with high rates of endoscopic utilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Woosley
authors.affiliation: Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States. Electronic address: edellon@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Evan S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Dellon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004751:Enteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: Eosinophilia; Eosinophilic gastroenteritis; Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease