1986 Volume 28 Issue 7 Pages 1574-1580_1
The authors have experienced two cases with complaints of abdominal pain and diarrhea suddenly developed after the intake of specific food, suggesting gastrointestinal allergy. Case 1, a 36-year-old man, showed a high level of IgE, 2, 800 ng/ml, in the peripheral blood after eating roast beef. Case 2, a 25-year-old man, with a history of pollinosis, an egg manifested a positive result in the RAST (radioallergosorbent test). Biopsy specimen from the duodenal bulb revealed remarkable infiltration of eosinophils in both cases. These two cases fulfilled the criteria of eosinophilic gastroenteritis listed by Greenberger, et al. The requirements were as follows : (1) infiltration of the gut wall with eosinophils, (2) increased number of eosinophils in the peripheral blood, and (3) abdominal symptoms or signs following the ingestion of specific foods. Both patients improved spontaneously with rosponse to the elimination of specific foods (allergen) even without corticosteroid therapy.
