Abstract
We described a case of an infant with hypereosinophilia complicated with food-induced atopic dermatitis. Eosinophilia may be present in patients with atopic dermatitis, but hypereosinophilia has been rarely reported. The patient presented with growth retardation, hypoproteinemia and mild liver dysfunction. A complete blood count obtained on first examination showed an elevated absolute eosinophil count of 15, 520per cubic millimeter. The serum IgE level was elevated. The serum levels of specific IgE to egg white, cow's milk and soybean were also elevated. The initiation of therapy with oxatomide and mequitazine was not effective. After oral corticosteroid therapy, the patient's condition improved and hypereosinophilia resolved. The serum levels of interleukin-5, but not IL-4 and eotaxin, were elevated compared with healthy control and correlated with peripheral eosinophil count. However the eosinophil count did not always reflect the clinical conditions and eosinophilic infiltration in the skin lesion did not prominent. The combined results indicate that hypereosinophilia, which unlikely play a central role for clinical manifestation in this patient, caused by the specially elevated serum levels of interleukin-5.
