Abstract

We report a seven year history of a 23 year old woman born in the Antilles, with pseudotumoral enterocolitis and massive eosinophilia. In 1973 she developed a haemorrhagic colitis with massive peripheral eosinophilia of up to 60000/mm3. Medical treatment, mainly corticosteroids, failed to control the disease. The patient temporarily improved after colectomy and remained in remission for two years. In 1978 the disease recurred in the rectum and small intestine with formation of tumour-like granulomata and massive infiltration by eosinophils, unresponsive to corticosteroids. Intestinal blood and protein loss continued until death seven years after onset. In spite of exhaustive investigation, no parasites, allergens, or other aetiological agents could be found. As only the gut was infiltrated, the hypereosinophilic syndrome could be excluded. The enterocolitis here described does not correspond to an eosinophilic gastroenteritis, nor to other known inflammatory bowel diseases and to our knowledge has not been reported previously.