Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an inflammatory bowel disease of which the etiology is not understood. The clinical picture tends to be variable and is related to the particular layer of bowel involved. There may be ileo-colitis with obstructive symptoms, disturbances of gastric emptying or a diffuse small bowel problem with mal-absorption in relation to eosinophilic gastroenteritis. The majority of children present with intestinal obstruction and surgical intervention is necessary. The differential diagnosis in relation to other obstructive bowel diseases is difficult and can usually only be done following biopsy or resection with histopathological investigation. A peripheral blood eosinophilia is present in only two-thirds of the patients.