title: Chronic intractable diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal mastocytosis.
abstract: As mast cells have been highlighted in the pathogenesis of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, a new term "mastocytic enterocolitis" was suggested by Jakate and colleagues to describe an increase in mucosal mast cells in patients with chronic intractable diarrhea and favorable response to treatment with antihistamines. Although it is not an established disease entity, two cases have been reported in the English medical literature. Here, for the first time in Asia, we report another case of chronic intractable diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal mastocytosis. The patient was a 70-year-old male with chronic intractable diarrhea for 3 months; the cause of the diarrhea remained obscure even after exhaustive evaluation. However, biopsy specimens from the jejunum were found to have increased mast cell infiltration, and the patient was successfully treated with antihistamines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyungil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hyoung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Byeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Gok
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Mo
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kiju
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hoonsub
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: So
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Minseob
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Wan Soo
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Mi
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Jo
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byong Duk
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Myung
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Suk-Kyun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: Diarrhea; Mast cells; Mastocytic enterocolitis