Eosinophilic gastroenteritis with ascities: a case report

ABSTRACT

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare pathology, of undetermined etiology which incidence is in increase. It is characterized by eosinophilie infiltration of the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical manifestations are very variable and the severity of the clinical picture depends on the site involved and the wall layers infiltrated we point out the clinical, evolutionary and therapeutic characteristics of this rare affection. We report the case of a 65 years old man, with the history of allergic asthma. He was admitted for diarrhea associated to vomiting and slimming quantified to 3kg in 3 weeks. Physical examination noted an edematous-ascitic syndrome. Biology showed the presence of high peripheral eosinophilia. Paracentesis disclosed exudative effusion with high level of eosinophil. The morphological assessment highlighted a segmental parietal thickening of the small intestine and a dense eosinophilie infiltration of the mucosal duodenal layer. The patient was treated by corticotherapy with a favorable evolution. despite its rarity, the diagnosis of gastroenteritis with ascitis should be evoked even when the etiologic assessment is negative