[Eosinophilic colitis--an unusual cause of acute abdomen. Case report and literature review].

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is an etiologically obscure and rare inflammation which can affect all sections of the gastrointestinal tract from esophagus to rectum in a diffuse or segmentary manner. An infiltrate of eosinophilic granulocytes is found to varying degrees in all wall layers. The clinical symptoms depend on the site and extent of organ involvement. Diagnosis can only be established histologically. Peripheral eosinophilia is inconsistent and not diagnostic. ESR, leukocyte count, serum IgE, and RAST tests in foodstuffs may be normal or elevated. Two women patients are described with tumorous eosinophilic colitis of the cecum and colon ascendens, who underwent surgery for clinical acute abdomen. A further woman patient was hospitalized with bloody diarrhea and marked eosinophilia in the blood findings. Eosinophilic colitis was likewise found histologically in the mucosa which appeared with reddened patches in sigmoidoscopy. Eosinophilic colitis associated with eosinophilic gastroenteritis is rather rare and may therefore be overlooked. Our literature review contains only 64 such cases, in only 6 of which was the tumorous form found. Counting our own patients as well, eosinophilic colitis occurs somewhat more frequently in women (27 = 56%) than in men (21 = 44%). The clinical symptoms, possible causes and therapeutic approaches are discussed in the light of the literature.