Abstract
A case of eosinophilic enteritis causing intestinal obstruction is described. The patient was a 61-year-old male who was emergently admitted to our hospital for surgical treatment of intestinal obstruction.
On celiotomy, the cause of the intestinal obstruction was found not to be postoperative adhesion which is usual origin, but to be hypertrophic change of terminal ileal wall. Then, ileocecal resection including obstructive region was performed. Resected specimen demonstrated hypertrophy of the terminal ileal wall and Bauhin's valve.
Histopathologically, the entire eayers of the thickened wall of the terminal ileum showed hemorrhagic change with fibrinoid material and severe inflammatory infiltrates mainly composed of eosinophils. These findings led to the diagnosis of eosinophilic enteritis. Generally, it is very difficult to confirm a correct diagnosis of eosinophilic gastroenteritis confined to the small intestine preoperatively. Efforts to elucidate the cause of eosinophilic gastroenteritis and to accomplish a preoperative reliable diagnostic method and an effective conservative treatment based on its cause must be emphasized.
